Vampire Fangs
by Ancr
Summary: He guards a treasure unknown to many. A burden he undertakes to protect the ones he love. For not only is his identity and sanity at sake, he might lose the one thing precious to him - his own sister. Hiatus and under revision.
1. Prologue: Of stories and Vampires

"**Author's" note:** Just as promised to whomever out there who even bother to read my profile, here is the Vampire story. It is still under revision. I cannot believe that it has been two years since I started on this story. I'll strive and try my hardest to finish it. :D

**Storyline:**

A dark secret never to be revealed, hidden away from prying eyes. Kept safe by his mother, Natsume now undertakes the task of protecting his sister and something else he knows and does not know. Things however squirmed out of his control and problems arise as he meets a brunette, who would play a key role in the troubles to come. Not only is his identity and sanity at sake, he might lose his sister. As his own problems escalate, he soon found himself heavily burdened with his promise made towards his deceased mother to protect his sister, an ancient legend of the "Pandora's heart" and the future of many lives.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Gakuen Alice. (says with a sigh)

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**Prologue – Of Stories and ****Vampires**

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A little boy sat contentedly beside his mother, leaning his weary head against her. Both of them were on the bed, sitting upright in companionship silence. The mother smiled, a light fond smile. She smoothen her child's heredity raven black locks lovingly, untangling the coils amidst the sea of black.

"Are you tired, Natsume?" The mother asked. She was genuinely concerned.

Natsume shook his little head while trying to stifle a yawn. The mother giggled, which made the child feel troubled. So young and yet the wrinkles crumpled his tiny face. She raked her fingers once more through his raven locks. Oh how could anyone not love this child?

"Well then, shall I tell you a bedtime story?"

The child nodded lethargically. The mother gave a gentle smile and a wistful look before beginning the story.

_"A meteorite fell on earth coincidently on that fateful day when Prometheus first created man and Athene first breathed life into them. The dinosaurs were conveniently wiped out, leaving the land barren for the future dominants of their world - mankind. But such a coincidence couldn't have just happened, could it? That was what Zeus believed and remained scornful about mankind, disbelieving that it will come to any good. Zeus however kept his peace, merely watching and scornful of those two- leggers who taint the once beautiful earth._

_Life for these new species was blissful and serene for a couple of decades. However, peace was fleeting and transient."_

The mother glanced back at the child. Natsume was still wide awake despite signs of sleepiness, anticipating for her next lines. The corners of her mouth curved upwards at his enthusiasm. She continued on,

_"On the day of festive joy, men were called upon to sacrifice a bull, but none of them knew what to present to the gods. Would it be the bones of the creature for weaponry or perhaps the savory flesh and tough sinew of the bull? How about the heart full of blood symbolizing mercy and sympathy? The men were nonplussed on how to proceed, all they knew from the Shaman was that a bull had to be skewered and presented to the gods to quell the growing presentiment. Flustered, they call upon their creator, Prometheus for help._

_Now, Prometheus was a cheeky fellow. He never habour any love for Zeus, partly due to his adamant opposition to the creation of man. This cunning, sly lad happened to see the perfect opportunity to spite Zeus. Doubtless to say, Prometheus would seize the chance to thoroughly embarrass Zeus. After reassuring his beloved creations, Prometheus skinned and butchered the bull himself, dividing them into two potions, one of which contained the bones covered in a thick layer of blubber, while the other had all the lean tender meat._

_He presented them both in front of Zeus, demanding that he should have one of the portions as rightful ruler of all. Zeus was slightly pleased about the arrangement. After all, he was lord over the others and was of great authority. He felt an immense sense of ego welling within him._

_"Very well, Prometheus, you have been good and faithful" He says. With a flick of a finger, Zeus chose what he thought contained the meat (the larger of the two portions), which were unfortunately the bones and fats._

_Oh how Prometheus grinned when he heard the uproar from Mount Olympus, immensely satisfied with his little trick. Little did he expect this would be the start of all problems._

Natsume huddled closer to her, snuggling at her side.

_"Zeus was indeed displeased and furious about it. He needed to do something; his pride as supreme leader was at stake. How could he be tricked by such l__owly creations? So with a flick of a finger and plenty of childishness, he snatched fire away from the men, forbidding them to cook. Alas, Prometheus heard about it and stole fire from the heavens for his creations. This however, did little to salvage the situation and instead enraged Zeus._

_To Zeus, this was the last straw. If Prometheus had his creations, he would have his too. He called upon Hephaestus, the smith of the gods and instructed the fellow to form her from the earth. Athene, goddess of wisdom, breathed life into her, teaching the creation how to weave and clothed her. Aphrodite the goddess of love made her irresistibly beautiful and charming, while the god Hermes taught her to seduce and deceive. Her name was thus Pandora, the "all-gifted". Zeus's plan was to create women and this is the story of Pandora, a bedtime story about the eventual creator of vampires._

_Pandora quickly perfected with every gift and arrayed in all her loveliness. She was then sent to Epimetheus (Prometheus's brother) to set the plan in motion. Though forewarned by Prometheus, silly Epimetheus was foolishly charmed by Pandora and received the woman with open arms, pleased to have such a gift."_

His crimson eyes were half-lidded with sleep. She could tell he was trying to stay awake.

_"Pandora had a box she was forbidden to open under any circumstance, for each of the gods had stored the worst things that she or he could possibly give. As wonderful as the gifts they had endowed Pandora with, the darkness that lies beneath was just as dreadful. However, this was too tempting like a drug addict craving for his drugs, like the honey and the bee, for a lively girl like Pandora who was unfortunately endowed with the first feminine curiosity._

_It was unavoidable, the urge to open the box, the desire to peer inside it. It also appears that perseverance wasn't really included in her wide range of qualities as she gave in, impelled by her natural curiosity. The lid was lifted. Though only slightly to reveal only a crack, it was all it took to break hell loose. All evil contained in the box unleashed its fury, lashing out into the air like a whip into the unknown – the first signs of sickness and suffering, hatred and jealousy and greed, and all the other cruel things that would freeze the heart and bring on old age appeared. For so long had these evil has been contained that they were overjoyed by the sweet taste of freedom. Pandora gasped in horror at the sight of it all, she panicked and hastened to close the lid. But it was all too late. The whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay right at the bottom - "Hope" which was given by Aphrodite the goddess of love. For love does no wrong. _

_Tears flowed freely down the fair cheeks of Pandora as she held Hope up in the air and watched in horror as it dissipated in the forms of bats. These were bats which would determine the evolution of mankind. For those specifically chosen by the bats to live, became vampires. And only the fittest will survive in this dog eat dog society…"_

The mother noticed the even breathing of her child. She patted her child's head fondly and laid the sleeping figure into a proper position. After which, she sat silently brooding. Blood red orbs stared forlornly out of the windows of the room and into the distant night. Her lips silently whispering the words:

"Goodnight my child, goodnight."

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**Ending note:** Hope you enjoyed the bedtime story. R&R please! :D


	2. First Blood: Two different worlds

"**Author's" note:**I'm doing some major changes with the chapters, I realized. Thus, I would like to thank all those who have reviewed and stayed patient as I kept changing and revising the chapters. Domo arigato, mina! Do continue to R&R. I would love to hear from all of you. :D And most importantly, Happy reading.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

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**Chapter 1 – Two Different Worlds**

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_Research by scientists had shown that vampires' blood is significantly similar to human blood. Moreover, the bone structures of vampires are uncannily identical to humans, indicating common ancestor. There is however notable differences between the DNA of vampires and humans which specifically code for blood. Vampires have an extra set of genes which codes for enzyme which are able to digest and retain haemoglobin in blood. There has been speculation of whether vampires were in actual fact subspecies of humans. In which, the thesis have gain animosity and heated arguments. Debates are still ongoing since some three hundred years ago._

o.O.o.O.o

"997…998…999…" he counted mentally, as he went down again. The muscles in his left arm were screaming in pain, begging him to stop as he straightened the arm again. Cold sweat trickled down his spine as he continued to push himself despite the fact that he was cold and hungry.

Finally, he collapsed onto the cool surface of the marble flooring. His breathing ragged as he greedily sucked in oxygen from his surroundings. Rolling over with his back against the floor and one hand propped up against his forehead, he panted and relaxed his arching muscles. Pity. If only had he persisted, he would have beaten his record of a thousand single handed push ups.

Thanks to his vampire blood, he was able to complete such an incredible feat that no human can accomplish. But more importantly, he had overcome it once more - his hunger, his thirst for blood (human blood, of course). He could no longer keep this up though. Turning his head, he watched as the blood pills that lay beside him burst into flames. He no longer had a need for it.

He rose and grabbed a towel from the hanger, carelessly discarding it upon the burnt pills. Fortunately, it carried enough sweat to extinguish the fire. He slowed to a stop in front of the windows, observing as columns of flame clawed the night sky.

Immediately, he felt his body adapting to the change. His two canine teeth had shrunk back to its usual size (though still pretty obvious for a human), his fair skin darkened slightly, while his body ached even more from the workout. He was back to human, vulnerable weak mortal.

Mjuk(1), a blessing and a curse. Perhaps it was a price for having such supernatural powers. Stripped bare of their abilities and practically human, any skilled extremist slayer who have learnt of a vampire's soft month could easily be dead before he or she could even revert back to a vampire. For a period of time, the vampire turns into a human. Perhaps it was a price for having such supernatural powers. Stripped bare of their abilities and practically human, any skilled extremist slayer who have learnt of a vampire's soft month could easily be dead before he or she could even revert back to a vampire. No one could explain such a strange phenomenon. Researchers of vampire descent often speculate that it is possible contamination of human blood or perhaps a reminder of their roots. It was found that the higher the percentage of human contamination, the longer the Mjuk period. Natsume scoff at their preposition. They were better off finding a way to integrate into society.

Natsume stared emotionlessly into the bathroom mirror as he goes through the mundane routine to make himself presentable. He would have to attend human lessons today. He had skipped too many and was on the borderline of retaining a grade, not that he minded, but it would probably put the chairman into a tight sport. Still, it would be pleasant to see the chairman vexed, he mused to himself. Having lived for so long, he wondered why he was even attending lessons of content he already knew about. He slammed shut the bathroom door.

o.O.o.O.o

"Wake up, wake up, you lazy pig, wake up!" the alarm clock chorused over and over again, pulling a brunette from dreamland to the harsh realm of reality.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, highlighting the figure of a young teenager wrapped in thick coating of blankets. A pillow was held over her head for "protection" against the sun's evil glare.

Pressing the pillow harder against her ear with one hand and grabbing the alarm clock in the other, the brunette flung the latter to the furthest corner of the room in an attempt to destroy it. Unfortunately for her, it lives. Many thanks to the coating of soft material placed around it as if it was predicted to be treated this way. To the poor girl's dismay, the clock shrieked even louder.

Cursing softly to herself, our favourite protagonist finally forced herself to sit upright with her legs unflatteringly positioned. Why had she brought that nasty thing from Hotaru? Mikan grumbled in frustration as she rubbed her chocolate brown eyes. She was a wreck. Her wild auburn hair flew in all directions, while her pyjama's top missed a button, revealing one side higher than the other and a generous part of her tummy.

"I'm up!" she shrieked, flinging her arms up in desperation, which instantly silences the alarm clock, but revealed another noise.

Mikan rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead as the cursed screeches of the fat landlord echoed through the hallway, flooding her with a colourful range of vocabulary. She in return swore that one of these days she was going to go deaf. She groaned, but instantly corrected her mood. This was not how a day should start. Mikan smiled foolishly to herself, doing a sudden a hundred and eighty degrees change of mood.

"Today's going to be a great day," she declared optimistically, hopping right off the bed and…instantly falling flat down on her face. Scowling, the brunette turned to see the culprit - the blanket. Her bottom half was still tangled with the accursed blanket.

"Okay…maybe not that great a day," she mumbled in resentment, rolling around in a futile attempt to release herself from the blanket. Once more, she hoisted herself up…but failed terribly and ended up tripping over it again. She met the ground once more with a painful thud. Her eyes trailed the floor and widen as she stared at the item before her. She blinked once. Twice. She was so dead. Kicking away the blanket, she scampered to her feet, leaving the poor innocent clock sitting there…

o.O.o.O.o

Walking out of the bathroom half naked, Natsume was unsurprised to find his sister at the doorway.

"Aoi," He acknowledged her. She thrust a wine glass filled with dark red liquid before him. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Nii-sama, you have not feast have you?"

Natsume ignored her and received the glass firmly at its slender frame, careful not to spill a drop. He silently praised Aoi for her sharpness and started drinking. The blood was bland. Unsatisfying, but filling. The texture was the only factor in which he enjoyed. He swirled the thick mixture in disgust. He hated it. This dependency towards human blood, but he was a hypocrite. He was actually fond of the feeling he gets when his tongue slowly cruise along the side of the wine glass, leaving not a drop of blood left. Damn, he hated himself.

"You do know that you can't live that way do you? You need to drink from the body." Aoi lectured. Natsume merely gave her a knowing stare before draining the glass.

He collapsed and leaned back into his chair, cleaning the last traces of blood on his teeth. He could still taste the lingering liquid in his mouth. Aoi took the initiative and sat on the armchair across him.

"Nii-sama, you need to find her, the one who would compliment you."

Natsume shrugged, but gave a subtle nod of agreement. He needs a gypsy. Surviving on third grade blood was just foolishness.

"I will, you need not worry. Go to school,"

Natsume patted Aoi reassuringly on the head and gave a chaste kiss on her forehead. He had better things to concern himself with besides his own survival.

Placing the wine glass on the table, he grabbed his bag and proceeded down the long winding stairs of the mansion, ignoring the anxious looks directed towards him by his sister.

**Ending note: **Mmm…so that concludes the chapter. :D Hope you like it. Reviews are much craved and loved by me. Hahaha. ^^


	3. W2: They meet

**Author's" note:** Yay! I finally finished this...erm...long chapter. It took me ages just to edit and write it out. This was the chapter which gave me a really big headache. I am also so terribly sorry that I took so long to update. I was pretty busy with school and couldn't get my hands on the computer (very sad case). Once again, I would like to thank those that have reviewed. Trust me; it is very inspiring to know that someone is reading your work. Please continue to R&R! This was the chapter which gave me a really big headache. I kept mopping over it for weeks, before posting this. Mmmm…so Happy Reading!

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

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**Chapter 2 – The meeting**

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Their pearly white canines shrunk, while their powers wither away like the soft petals embraced by the wind. Mjuk arrives whether one likes it or not. It comes as it will and never fails to fulfill its duty of rendering a vampire defenseless. Stripped of their abilities, it was obvious why every vampire hates it. Vulnerable, helpless, reliant as humans are, but the differences are clear. The thirst for blood never ends...

o.O.o.O.o

Mikan Sakura stood, frozen in a mixture of delight and awe. For right in front of her was her new school. But it wasn't the school that had shocked her so greatly; it was the majesty of the school gates that truly wowed her. Indeed, it was a sight to see. After all, the rusty steel gates that rooted itself to the ground were five times larger than any other metal gate, decorated with vines of crawlers which winds elegantly around the metal. Mikan had seen too many huge gates that she couldn't even count them with her hands or her toes. But none could rival the gate before her. In fact, it was so massive that it practically seems futile to depend on human strength to open it. Yet standing with his back faced against her was a single man. However despite the ramblings on how impressive it was, Mikan could not shake this feeling of uneasiness. Troubles always followed.

Her mouth curved slightly, vanquishing the smile from her face. She recalled how her previous school or more specifically the principal had dismissed her. It was certainly not a pleasant experience being in the principal's office.

_"Mikan-chan, I'm sorry but the school cannot afford to have any more of this rowdiness." _

_ "Principal-dono…"_

_ "I'm sorry, please leave. The bullying has escalated beyond control."_

Her knuckles turned pale, as her fingers dug into her palms. It wasn't easy being an orphan nor was it simple to withstand the numerous taunts from the classmates though Jii-chan had often preached of forgiveness and patience. However she had endured, smiling, believing that they would come through. Unfortunately for her, they never did. Trouble seems to love her and she got kicked out of school over and over again. She sighed. If she were to survive in school, she would become one of the top students here and prove her worth. Hard work and diligence should be able to overcome talent.

Unintentionally, her gaze slipped back to the watch on her hand. A low groan and a soft grumble could be perceived if near. She had sidetracked again despite being already late. Shaking her head profusely to clear the memories, she secretly pondered what this school would be like.

Her heart sank at one look of her surroundings. This was certainly not a school for the poor or the dumb. Ironically, Mikan somehow comprehend that she perfectly fits into both categories. _(Well, Mikan's not dumb, she's just blur and slow)_ One of her hands sourced through her bag, emerging with a clump of paper. She unfolded the crumpled paper with care and reread the letter. The name of the school splashed in cursive on the board hung next to the gate was an exact match to the name printed on the paper.

There was only one thing left to do - get in.

"Eto...Security guard-sama," she began, carefully phrased her sugar-coated sentence, "do you mind opening the gate for me?" Her puppy dog eyes wordlessly pleaded the man, while an award-winning smile was tucked neatly into the corners of her mouth. Her hands clapped together, emphasizing her point.

Her grin widened when the Security guard rotated his **head** slowly towards her direction in response to her plea.

'Yes! The battle was already half won,' Mikan smirked, praising her intelligence to the highest. But was it?

The man's head was now facing Mikan, but his back was still against her. If one examines the figure, one would immediately notice a large tag label that says, "Made by Imai Hotaru for late coming baka(s) like Mikan Sakura", but of course, Mikan had selective vision.

"No access for latecomers. Too bad...ne," the security guard sneered in monotonous drone. As soon as the security guard had finished his statement, his head sprang back like a stretched spring to its original position and he trudged out of sight.

Mikan gaped at the security guard. The grin that was once tucked into the corners of her mouth rapidly disappeared into a scowl. No wonder her dramatic acting did not work, the so-called security guard was a machine! She cried out in outrage, sweeping her bangs backwards in frustration. Drinking the air with huge, heaving gulps, Mikan calmed herself down. After all, it was useless to get so work up over such a "**small**" matter.

Plopping down on the floor, she considered the other alternatives. After what seem ages, she finally came up with two. The first was to jump over the gate (At this very thought, Mikan gazed at the gate), while the second was to wait until someone comes. Preferably, she would like the latter as the former was mission impossible for her, but the latter will take...

"Forever," she voiced out her thoughts, agitated by her useless situation. Waterfalls sprang out of her eyes animatedly as she paced up and down before the gate with her hands tossed up in the air.

o.O.o.O.o

It was a queer sight to see and should anyone catch a glimpse of this, they would have thought that the girl was an escapee from a mental hospital and that was precisely what Natume thought. He had a rather gratuitous view of the situation.

His blood red eyes trailed the small figure in amusement as the brunette shuffled up and down. A rare smirk graced the smart features of his face. He was late, but he doesn't give a damn about it. Besides, if he been such a goody two shoes, he would have missed out on such an entertaining show. He strolled calmly towards the newcomer, erasing the smirk of his face.

_Poor_, he glanced impassionedly at the baggy material that lay on the pebbled floor. It was certainly not a new trend to have such a worn out bag. Stopping a few feet before her, he continued to observe as the brunette ran pass him again and again. _Slow_ isn't she. He mused to himself. The brunette finally stopped and for a second, Natsume thought he would be swallowing back his statement, but the brunette merely bent down, puffing and panting like a canine. _Silly,_exhausting her energy by running around like a lunatic. _Childish_, he snorted - the girl was still tying her hair into two pigtails. Had this child been attending school here? He was pretty sure he did not miss out any of the students' profile. It can't be…a new student?

Natsume intentionally stepped forth, in front of her trajectory path. As expected, the brunette had charged at full force, but the impact was much softer than he had thought so.

He watched with great interest as the girl lost her balance and fell right down on her butt, exposing more than required.

But she is interesting, he reasoned to himself.

"Wha?" Mikan cried out in astonishment at the sudden appearance of a man. Instinctively she placed a foot forward to halt her motion, but accursed inertia had resulted in her fall. She groaned, rubbing the sore area. Thank goodness her reflexes were good. She turned to fix her gaze at the culprit. Her mouth paused in the midst of an apology.

The culprit was lean, muscled and straight-backed like an experienced dancer. He towered over her with slits for eyes, looking condescendingly down upon her. Catlike face with its finely attuned features and strange beauty blatantly displayed disdain and boredom. The culprit had an unmistakable aura of superiority, even the way he carried himself would have clearly distinguish from the others. His supremacy over her was probably somewhat true considering she don't have the money or brains. He would have been easily stereotyped into royalty if not for his unruly raven-black hair which had completely ruined his princely image and revealed the rebellious streak in him. Upon closer look, she found herself mesmerized in pools of red. His blood red eyes told of a story of numerous trials and tribulations, of harden emotions and an apathetic world. It enticed her, yet saddened her. For one so seemingly young, it appears to be tragic. A wave of sadness gripped her as she continued to study the stranger.

Natsume on the other hand, fidgeted uncomfortably under the brunette's gaze. He was used to glares and gossips, but nothing like this. It was as if the girl could read him like a book, going through the pages of his memories. He particularly didn't like what he perceived as piteous looks in this youngling's eyes.

"Get up, Polka-dots. How long do you intend to gawk?"

Red flushed across her cheekbones as the girl looked away, appearing in deep in thoughts. Natsume seized the chance to study the brunette once more, this time up close.

He had seen many who are breathtakingly stunning that the girl before him could never rival. He had seen many who took a classier approach to their uniforms with mini skirts and tailored shirts than her. In fact, her oversized uniform sagged against her form, revealing nothing much of her figure. The sweat that had once drenched her had dried off amazingly fast. The skirt she brought was unfortunately tailored to be modestly above her knees, again showing nothing of her thighs. She was relatively odd and old fashioned. Yet he could sense that the girl was unique. How so? Her auburn hair vaguely reminded him of someone he met once upon a time - a maiden with brown eyes of innocence and intellect which rival his. No. she was not her. His gaze fell upon the fair skin at her throat. He could distinctly hear blood pulsing through it, the sweet smell of blood wafting up his nose. Wait...smell? Natsume cocked an eye in silent question.

"I'm sorry. Well, aren't you staring as well, Mr. arrogant?" she retaliated indignantly, sticking her tongue childishly. The brunette got up, brushing off the imaginary dust from her skirt.

Natsume cast a cold glance at her; one of disdain and irritation.

"So Mr. Arrogant, Do you know how to get in?"

Natsume shrugged his shoulders in silent respond. His eyebrow twitched ever so slightly in annoyance.

"I don't, polka dots," he lied, emphasizing on the nickname he gave her. He wondered how long it would take for polka dots to realize where her nickname came from.

He sensed quick movement and reached out to catch the brunette's raised hand by her wrist. He however intentionally overlooked her other hand and a loud sound resounded, resulting in a stinging pain on his cheek. He stared at the girl before him in puzzlement, while rubbing his cheek. That was new. He had never been slapped before. It was a curious tingling feeling.

"Pervert! Have you no respect for a girl's privacy?"

Oh, she had finally noticed.

"Well, it was you who showed it to me, polka dot," he stated in a muffled matter-of-fact tone. His eyes lit in amusement.

"Your p-an-ti-es," He stressed each syllabus, entertained as the brunette grew redder by the words. The events from earlier replayed itself in her head like a coloured picture book. Red flushed across her cheeks in hot embarrassment upon realization that she had in fact revealed her lingerie. Her mouth grew agape in outrage.

"B-but that doesn't give you the right to call me that!" she retorted, her face unconsciously inching towards Natsume.

"Oh?" Natsume taunted, raising the tone of his voice in bemusement. He moved closer to her.

"Yes! You could have just…" The brunette lashed back, but paused midway at a loss of what to say. "…**kindly**informed me," She finished off lamely. Her face was almost touching his.

Natsume opened his mouth, ready to oppose the brunette, but bewilderment overcame his anger. He ended up chuckling in amusement as he noticed how close she was to him. Wrapping his arms around the surprised girl's waist, he pulled her towards him.

"Well, I didn't want to spoil the fun," he whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine, "We're all adults here right?"

He grinned, knowing full well that his victim was at his mercy. Blowing lightly at her ear, he smirked triumphantly as she produced an involuntary shudder.

"What are you trying to do? Pervert!" the girl protested, banging her fist against his chest, only to find that the grip had tightened. Natsume grinned boyishly as he reaffirmed his hold on her. For a plain Jane, she smelled strangely nice. He lifted a stray lock away from her neck, revealing pale skin, fair as snow. An aroma drifted towards him, sweet and tantalizing. He was instinctively made aware of the rapid pound of her heart; the flow of her blood gushing through her veins and the potential beneath her fair skin. The sudden smell brought up a primitive urge, which pulsated through the very fibre of his being. It whispered of promise and blood. Somewhere back in the very edge of his mind, the last shred of sanity was screaming for him to stop. He listened, but his body betrayed him. A hand tenderly stroked the brunette's neck. It was not his. His other hand paused midway to restrain it. His face contorted with pain at the very effort to move. His body ached of longing and desire. This creature before him allured him, tempted him as the devil would, slowly drawing him into madness. After all it was just a bite, a small bite to the end of his agony. Fangs gleamed threateningly in the sunlight as he lowered his head toward her neck. He could almost taste it in his mouth – the sweet, thick, fast flowing liquid and death. There wasn't a single soul around to bear witness; there wasn't any to stop him...

o.O.o.O.o

A blur of green crackled with deadly accuracy. Grey pavement caved under the enormous pressure, smattering into concrete pieces. A piece in particular cluttered onto the dirt floor, right before Natsume's feet. Natsume easily sidestepped the attack and eyed the spot in distaste. There was a wide trench, deep enough to bury a child. It intentionally missed Natsume by an inch.

He scowled at the culprit. Bean-whips are dangerous items when placed in the wrong hands, especially in the hands of his homeroom teacher. Natsume cast a disdainful glare at the blonde teacher, who was not much happier to see him. The usually friendly aura surrounding Narumi was replaced with anger and irritation.

Narumi was roughly the size of a proper adult, 5'8 foot with a scrawny figure. Wavy golden hair of shoulder length and blue eyes were his most striking features. Besides that, Natsume had no more interest in him than he would to an ant. Noticing his pain and desire had dwindled, Natsume silently felt relieved for the arrival of Narumi. He however, would have preferred a less flashy entrance. The stinging pain had dulled into exhaustion. He stepped backwards cautiously despite the last of his lust abating into detachment.

"O...tou-san!" Mikan blurted out in shock.

She froze for a moment, still unable to take in what was happening. One moment she was "embraced" by a total stranger (whom she figured was a bit too perverted for her liking) and the next, she was released by his grasp and her father appeared out of no where. Her eyes took in the deep impact made on the floor. It was simply too confusing for the brunette to figure out what was happening, but Mikan Sakura knew one thing at the sight of the deep trench. Her godfather intended to kill the stranger right before her. She pursed her lips in nervousness. Her godfather was very protective of her indeed.

"Otou-san! Are you trying to kill him?" she cried in distress at the older man as she stormed towards his direction.

"You know, if you did, maybe you should be just a little quieter and perhaps less obvious," she paused and thought for a moment, "you should have worn darker clothing too so as to not be catch by the police."

In return, a soft chuckle was heard from Narumi, who enveloped the brunette into a bear hug. A weak smile played on the old man's mouth as he warmly welcomed the brunette. Natsume, who once again had an extravagant close-up view of what was happening, merely stoned at the scene, not knowing what to make of it.

As far as he could remember, his "gay" teacher was not married nor dating another person of the opposite gender, but of course, you cannot cross out the possibility that he got someone pregnant. However, the girl was not a vampire and he bet that the girl didn't even know a single thing about vampires.

"Hyuga," the teacher murmured under his breath, catching his attention. He pushed Mikan aside, bent on leaving her out of the conservation. The teacher's azure blue eyes pierced through his.

"Don't you dare touch her," he hissed venomously. "I will personally kill you."

Natsume shrugged, unfazed by the threat.

"As if you could." was his arrogant reply. He gave a smirk before sauntering past the two of them through the gates into school.

"You have better listen, Hyuga. She is too precious to be contaminated by the likes of you."

Natsume ignored him and carefully concealed his curiosity. The brunette was important? He felt doubtful, but let it lie. He was soon out of sight.

Instinctively, Mikan's first response was to chase after the arrogant jerk; they have yet to settle their dispute, but was held back by a very disturbed Narumi.

"Let's get you to your classroom, Mikan," Narumi muttered under his breath and headed for a large building. Knowing that her godfather would not budge, she obediently linked arms with him and let herself be led through the gates in a different direction.

o.O.o.O.o

Mikan was surprised to learn that stones dominated the school buildings. It was all around - the floors, the walls, the ceilings and the spiral staircases which wounds all the way to the very top. There were no windows as they walked down the corridors - another undecidedly pleasant streamed freely, lighting their path past the numerous wooden double doors of classrooms.

As Mikan trailed her fingers along the cool surface of the walls, she felt the inconsistent bumps and dents from the inscription engraved in it. She could not tell which language the words belonged to. Gibberish letterings circled along the pillars in an orderly fashion, joined by elegantly curved arches. The mural of a woman, bowed humbly with a box in her hands and a devilish looking counterpart stretched impressively across the ceiling.

Her gaze lingered on the devil-like figure; it was astoundingly well-drawn right to the very details of its black waxen hair. She shivered. There was something hauntingly familiar in that picture. She was glad when her godfather tugged her along.

Mikan was much more surprised to find the school inhabited by life. From the corner of her eye, she spied the translucent webs of a spider. The spider had just completed its work of art and perched on its web. It stared curiously as the young man and little girl passed by. On one of the beams of the ceiling, a nest of younglings chirped. As they walked a little further, a blue jay swooped past them. She wondered if the younglings belonged to it and reached out as the bird flew above her.

Narumi was only reaching his thirties, yet he felt so old standing beside a young girl of seventeen. The girl, despite being seventeen, retained much of her innocence. He watched as Mikan raised a hand towards the bird. Okay...perhaps her childishness had never fade, but it would be untrue and unkind to state that the child had not matured over the years even if it was not evident. He grinned inwardly at the thought. He however withdrew his smile upon reflecting on the recent events.

"Mikan, you should stay away from that guy," Narumi warned. "He's…"Narumi paused to find the right word to continue, "dangerous".

Mikan chewed on her lower lip; the sternness in his voice had momentarily startled her. Although she was inclined to follow her godfather's order, she could not help but feel a piqued interest towards the boy. "Curiosity kills the cat" she had heard it a thousand times, but has yet to prove it wrong herself. She was sure if she knew the mysterious guy better, she could find out what complexities that guy was made of and the turmoil of emotions found deep in those mesmerizing red eyes of his. Besides, socializing with another does not bring much harm…does it?

Narumi stole a worried glance at her. He sensed her hesitation and did not blame her. She was already seventeen going on eighteen. How time flies. She has her freedom to choose who she wants to be with. However, this was too grave a matter; Natsume Hyuuga is naught but trouble and treachery. Slowing his footsteps to a stop, he faced his alleged daughter with the "worry" spelt all over his face. His daughter followed suit, puzzled by the sudden stop.

"Mikan," intentionally, he softened his tone, "Promise me you will stay away from him." Again, he noted the uncertainty in his daughter. It vaguely reminded him of another person who was equally stubborn and ended up...dead. He did not want that situation to repeat again, not if he could help it.

"I promise," Mikan assured the blonde. Her usual smile easily slid back into the corners of mouth.

Though these two words came out as a whisper, it brought endless comfort and relief to Narumi. The tense atmosphere that had once shrouded them was brought end along with the conversation.

"Come on," Narumi grinned haughtily, "Let's get you to class, latecomer." She in return pouted childishly, sticking out her tongue at the word "latecomer". Shoving the brunette playfully on the shoulder, Narumi led the way confidently through the halls.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. In school, you better call me sensei, got it?" Narumi's clear voice echoed through the deserted hallway. He raised his index finger teasingly.

"Ehhhhhh? Why?" Mikan whined as she struggled to keep up with her godfather. Their voices travelled further and further away from the darkness.

**Ending note:**I pretty happy with this, comments are appreciated! I even welcome flames…or maybe not. Haha.


	4. R3: First Impressions

"**Author's" note:** Yipee! Done with chapter three. Finally. (Gives an exasperated sigh.) Reading back my chapters were fun, but tedious. Often times I found myself deviating to other stories instead. (Guilty looks). However, I managed to fully edit this over a large span of time. :D Most of it is unchanged, but I did tweak a little here and there. Once again, many thanks to all for enduring the long wait. :D Happy reading!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

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**Chapter 3 – First impressions**

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In history (though never stated), there had been a point of time that vampires were known to exist. Humans had despised them then, violently opposing to live harmoniously together with the vampires. There were plenty of name callings on either side. However, they persist to coexist in tolerance for the other species.

The humans separated themselves physically from vampires with stone walls, metal gates and all other materials available. The vampires, on the hand scoffed at the humans for being useless and unreasonable, regarding them as lower beings, but nevertheless they kept their distance. They built their own settlement far away from the humans, surviving on their own resources.

Vicious, nasty rumours were spread about the other species though it was never proven that they even existed, but there were some that were rather intriguing. From the vampires, there came the rumours and bedtime stories that humans were ugly brutes with no gender at all. They had skin of bright lime green and often turn out as the bad guy in a fairytale. Meanwhile on the other side, vampires were said to be large huge bats with hairy wings that would catch mischievous children who disobeyed their mothers, but of course, neither one of them have ever been proven true. In fact to each of the sides, the other species seemed like some legendary creature. Though measure had been taken for the two species to not meet, none of the sides could stop the brave and the bold from venturing out to discover these "unique" creatures. Forlornly, those who went, never return.

It was peaceful till a certain event which sparked a great war, the forgotten war between vampires and humans for a hidden motive, for a single item. Initially, it was domination and annihilation by the Vampires. The vampires had easily overridden the humans with great strength though small in numbers. They easily conquered lands and killed by the dozens. The tide turned eventually, against the vampires as the humans discovered means to destroy vampires in the form of fire and Alice. The damage on both sides was henceforth heavy. The war lasted generations after generations of humans till the descendents did not know whatever they were fighting for. Eventually, the cause of the war disappeared amongst the chaos, never to be seen again and hidden from both humans and vampires.

o.O.o.O.o

Violet observant eyes fixed its sight on the raven hair vampire who had just entered the classroom. Immediately, the noise ceased into a pin drop silence as the vampire walked down the aisle. A few respectful nods were directed at him, but he paid no attention to any. Soft squeals from his fans merely annoyed him.

Only giving recognition to his best friend and an inventor, he slumped down onto his usual seat and pulled out a comic just for the sole purpose of blocking out the lights. With both legs propped up on the table, Natsume proceeded to do a balancing act on only two legs of the chair (_imagine him doing that..._).

After a long while, the crowd seems to have gained back its confidence, starting out as soft whispers. The noise slowly, but eventually escalated as time ticks by, though it still remained at an acceptable level. After all, it doesn't do you good to offend a Hyūga whether you are human or vampire.

The inventor switched her attention back to her newest model. She had to get it ready before **she** comes or else the result would be chaotic. Although her nimble hands were working on the weapon, her mind could not help but wonder off.

It was considered typical of her distant cousin to turn up at the classroom when half the lessons had already flown past, but abnormal for him to come in during Narumi's lesson and he was a few minutes early too. How very queer indeed.

Putting the screwdriver she was holding down, she shot a threatening look at a certain blonde head sitting right next to her cousin, but received no other information other than the stiffening of his body and a shrug. It appears that none of them knew what was happening. Oh, what the heck, it was not really her business to poke into other people's affair. Wait, Imai Hotaru poking into other people's affair? That is just not right. She must be spending too much time with a certain annoying baka. With that last thought, she grabbed her screwdriver and burrowed her head into the machine again.

At the back of the classroom, the blonde head relaxed slightly upon noticing that Hotaru had returned to "work". For whom, that gun was for, he did not want to know. Stealing a glance at his best friend, he couldn't help but noticed how pale he was. Even if vampires are naturally born paler than humans, they couldn't be that pale. Why? He pondered, but immediately got his answer. It was probably because he had no slave. Signing, another "why?" popped up in his train of thoughts. He could only guess the numerous reasons behind it since there is no use forcing it out of his best friend.

"Narumi's coming…and he got a real cutie too!" Kokoro, the mind reader picked out from one of the informers, but immediately regretted his actions for the next thing he knew, he was bombarded with questions.

A clearing of throat cleared the mob to Kokoro's relief as their blonde hair teacher stood at the front with his familiar idiotic grin.

"Now, class we have a new student with us today, so I want you to behave and show her the goodness of our school. (Narumi's eyes sparkled at this) You have to uphold the school values and missions. As you know, our school has very high hopes for all of you. For in a few months time, you would be the ones leading the school...blah and blah and blah... (Half the class is dozing off) You people, being so intelligent gifted and..."

"Cut the crap, just show her in," a voice boldly interrupted the teacher, snatching the whole class back from sleep. Narumi frowned; feigning hurt, but went out of the classroom nevertheless to the class's delight. He came back (to their dismay), however, with a brunette.

The class observed the new student with interest as she entered the classroom (_well, with the exception of some people, namely our dear Kuro Neko_). She was definitely not pretty considering the high standards of the boys, not a stuck up as she just doesn't have a face, not a goody two shoes considering how late she was and definitely not a nerd as her nose was missing of a certain metal tool. What is she then? There is no category that suits her here.

The newcomer took in a dramatic breath, before smiling goofily at her "audience".

"Everybody, this is Mikan" Narumi prompted kindly, receiving a nod from the brunette.

"Hi everybody, my name is Sakura Mikan. Please to meet your acquaintance," Mikan introduced herself and bowed deeply. As she rose, she was puzzled to see why everyone was glaring at a certain guy.

o.O.o.O.o

Kokoro laughed nervously as he read some of his classmate's dark thoughts. Unfortunately, none of them were complimentary. One that includes, "Koko, she is so not hot!" another went, "What the hell, she's a goody two shoes! Well...not exactly...but see that skirt?" Raising his hand, he requested to visit the washroom before he was officially roasted by their glares.

o.O.o.O.o

"Well, your seat is there, Mikan. If you need anything (pulls the poor weeping Fukutan aka relief teacher in) ask him. I have more important things to do, so...Ja ne!" Narumi bade his goddaughter goodbye before exiting the room gaily.

As soon as their form teacher "ceased to exist", a switch seems to have been pressed for noise immediately erupted from the untamed class. Female students strutted about the class, chattering and gossiping without a care for the pathetic teacher stoning in front. Mysterious paper aeroplanes shot out from all directions, zooming past everyone as if the class was an obstacle course. The most astonishing thing of all was that everyone was doing what they like.

Mikan gaped in wonder. It made no sense that this could even be a classroom. Wasn't a classroom suppose to be full of goody two shoes, full of stuck ups and jerks? Nimbly avoiding the aeroplanes, Mikan squirmed her way down the aisle to her seat. She blinked perplexedly at the scene unfolding before her. Loneliness crept in on her as she glanced around. For the first time, she unexpectedly felt rather vulnerable without the "protection" of her godfather, that was, until she spotted another person.

"Hotaru!" the brunette exclaimed, charging towards her best friend despite the several shock faces that the ice queen actually have a friend.

The ice queen narrowed her eyes as she spied the brunette heading for her. Clicking in the last screw, she aimed the gun directly at the brunette's forehead. Her finger placed on the trigger, ready to make the simple effort of pushing it to eliminate the threat. What happen next was inevitable as the ice queen never misses (_due to the many practices she had with Mikan_).

The class paused what they were doing, some due to the gust of wind that had rushed past them, others due to the commotion caused. All of them, however, winced as they watched the impact that had sent the newcomer sprawling on the floor. This kicked off roars of laughter from most of the class. It was definitely not everyday that they get to see something so amusing as this. The newcomer was certainly interesting.

Ruka turned away, refusing to watch the violent scene. Now that he knew what the gun was used for, he seriously pitied the girl.

"Itai!" Mikan groaned as she gathered herself up. She was used to this already, so she saw no reason why she should even avoid it except this time it was exceptionally painful. 'Hotaru must have upgraded it to welcome me' she mused happily, massaging the sore spots. It hurts alright...

An unanticipated hand reached out before her. Mikan beamed, grabbing it without hesitation. Looking at the helper, she saw a kind bespectacled face though missing out the tinge of red that flushed across his cheekbones.

"Are you okay?" the helper asked, his chestnut coloured eyebrows furrowed in worry. Mikan smiled warmly, nodding her head as the boy pulled her to her feet.

"I'm Yuu, erm, I mean...erm, Tobita Yuu. Nice to meet you...I'm the class president," Yuu struggled with his words as he hastily withdrew his hand. He played with his spectacles nervously, moving it up and down the bridge of his nose. You can't blame the guy though since this was the first time he introduced himself to a girl.

"Nice to meet you, Tobita-kun" Mikan replied with ease and suddenly Yuu was sent pondering on how ironic it was that this girl was friends with the inventor. But before Yuu could say anything more, a comic book hit specifically on its victim's forehead. Once again, we see the brunette collapsed (_butt first_) onto the floor.

"Too noisy, polka dots," a calm voice resounded above the noise, immediately taming the class. All eyes darted to their "prince" in respectful silence. None dared to utter a word, except for a low moan at the end of the room.

Mikan sighed, "Who was it this time?" Rubbing her forehead vigorously, she struggled once more to her feet. She has been "unexplainably" bruised all over today. Suddenly aware of her surroundings, she scanned the room to find that Yuu had backed away from her as if she was some kind of disease. She was even more surprised to find it awkwardly silent. A line of space seemed to stare back at her, giving her the prefect view of...

"You! Y..you! Why are you here?" she exploded, softly jabbering vulgarities under her breath. Her trembling finger pointed in the direction of an all too familiar face. Unfortunately for Mikan, all of the vampires in the room could hear her colourful vocabulary so clearly, such that, Mikan soon found herself being lifted by an invisible force.

Hotaru sighed. Of all the people in the world, why did she have to get involved with her cousin? Somehow her best friend had a knack of asking for trouble, but that was probably one of those "few" reasons why the inventor was attracted to her. Getting up from her comfortable seat, she blended with the crowd for a better view.

"How dare you curse Hyūga-sama! You shall be punished for your insolent behaviour!" a girl screeched furiously, her voice piercing both human and vampire ears causing all to cringe. The screeching girl stepped out gallantly, glaring daggers at Mikan. Her prominent curly green hair stood out terribly, just like the person itself.

"Hyūga-sama," she called the endeared name out as if the name itself was worth millions.

At this, Mikan rolled her eyes. Why in the world does Permy call the pervert called "sama"? _(When one is called sama, it would mean that the person is above the caller in the social hierarchy)_

Natsume rose elegantly from his seat as if responding to her call. His face betrayed no emotion as he walked towards the seaweed hair girl.

An unmistakably smirk attached itself to the Permy's face as she watched "her" prince coming towards her. Her heart thumped faster with every step he took. Was this it, the fruit of all her efforts to charm him after all the bitterness? Was this the end of her misery? And lastly was her hair in a mess? She could not help but wonder. Both hands instantly shot up to smooth the already uneven hair. As she was combing through her hair with her hands, she finally noticed that the prince had already walked past her. Her jaw dropped literally as if inviting the flies to make themselves comfortable. This was the hundredth time she was rejected.

Bending down, Natsume retrieved the comic he had just thrown, pausing to examine the damage done. Satisfied that his comic book was fine, he headed towards the door.

"Ruka, lets go," his deep matured voice sounded once more.

Ruka snapped out of his daze and hurriedly made his way past the crowd and out the door where Natsume had just left.

Mikan frowned.

"I wonder what his problem was? He really has a serious attitude problem. He should really try something else other than remain emotionless all the time," Kokoro smirked as he read out the brunette's thoughts. Glares shot from all directions towards her.

"I can read your mind, Mikan-chan," Kokoro grinned, playfully displaying a peace sigh to her.

Mikan's eyes widen in horror as she found herself being lifted higher and higher. Her back was pressed against the wall by an invisible force.

"Okay people, five points for the legs, twenty for the body and fifty for the legs!" a voice cried out from the crowd gathering around Mikan.

Immediately, all types of stationeries flew at her, each jabbing and bruising her skin. Mikan grimaced, desperately trying to shield her face with both hands. This was not what she had expected for on first day of school. Screams and shouts of joy and exhilaration filled the air, amongst it was Yū's voice as he tried desperately to command the class to stop, but apparently none of his antics were working. Squeezing the shutters of her eyes close, Mikan hoped for a sudden miracle to happen...

A loud bang boomed and a shriek answered her prayers as something or someone crashed into the wall. Mikan swore she heard Hotaru speaking with a frightening authority in her voice: "No one tortures Mikan Sakura except me."

At once, the throwing stopped, but Mikan suddenly felt herself being pulled down by gravity. Before Mikan could even figure out what was going on, she slammed into something soft. Namely...a certain teacher who loves toads and produces electric charges as he pleases.

For the fourth time of the day, Mikan groaned as she discovered who she had conveniently landed on - Jinno-sensei.

"What is happening here?" the teacher exploded, glancing menacingly in sequence at Hotaru who was holding the baka gun, Mochiage (the one with the flying alice) who was still embedded in the wall, Shouda Sumire who shrieked and lastly the new student, whose name was...Mikan Sakura.

"Who started it?" his voice shook threateningly.

All eyes turned to the newcomer, but none pointed the finger. Getting the message, Jinno placed his terrifying glare on the small figure before him - the problem and the cause of his now aching back.

"CLEANING, Sakura and no help," the fearsome teacher towered over the poor girl, leaving the girl no room for explanations, "and get back to your seats or you will get it from me!" The teacher shook his fist at the students who lazily returned to their seats. A croak from his favourite pet did not help ease the tension hanging stubbornly in the air.

Gulping down saliva, Mikan proceed to her seat, watching as the others got away Scot free, while she shouldered all of the blame.

Jinno walked to the teacher's table as if nothing has happened and resumed lessons, though particularly picking on the new student.

The rest of the day whisked past before Mikan, with lots of dislike and glares from her classmates, but other than that she got by. In her mind, she fumed over the cause of her problems – that arrogant guy called Hyuga. It was entirely his fault...well, maybe partly hers, but still his fault...He will certainly be in her list of those who pays for angering Mikan Sakura.

o.O.o.O.o

Natsume walked into the principal's office with ease despite the protest of the secretary. She was wringing her arms to no avail as Natsume barged into the office. The principal closed a file calmly, putting away out of sight. He appeared unsurprised and kindly waved the traumatized secretary away.

"New secretary? It seems we are getting too many new arrivals recently," Natsume said dryly and settled unceremoniously on a chair.

"Ahhh…so you're mad." The principal stated matter-of-factly.

"Evidently." Natsume quipped, "Who is she?" His voice lowered into a dangerously even tone.

Dark ruby orbs bored into contrasting eyes paling to the gray of artic ice. He was ticked off by the principal's irrational decision to admit a student into the school without mentioning a single word to him. He did have a right to know, as the main shareholder of the school.

The chairman appeared unfazed and impassive, meeting the cold glint in his eyes without much discomfort. Ruka sat behind Natsume quietly in a gentlemanly manner, playing the role of the observer.

"The daughter of a friend of mine," a voice, calm and deep replied him as if used to his tempers. The principal rubbed his temples disturbingly.

"In the year so late? You mock me," Natsume questioned. There was an unmistakably underlying sarcasm to his words.

"Well, there is a need to keep an eye over her and her Alice," once again the voice answered patiently, "she will pose you and your sister no threat."

Natsume narrowed his eyes, regarding the person before him with considerable suspicion. He had yet to test out the girl's Alice, thanks to the fact that the principal had entered her before he could. Sly old fox. His mind replayed in bits and pieces to what Narumi had earlier mentioned. The girl was important huh… For now, he would watch and allow things to play out. However, should there be a threat, he would certainly vanquish her. Instantly.

"I see, forgive my rudeness," Natsume replied icily before rising from the visitor's chair and started for the door.

"No, it is my pleasure to serve you, Hyuga-sama. I was in the wrong for not informing you." The principal stood, bowing as he left.

Natsume made no comment, leaving the room with Ruka trailing behind. Like a storm, Natsume came and went as he pleased. But before Ruka closed the door to the sound-proof room, he distinctively heard the seemingly docile principal said, "Now, this is going to be interesting" with a cheeky grin dancing under his words.

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**Ending note: **Mmm…I love Hotaru. She is really such a genius. Haha. Reviews are much loved.


	5. U4: Undiscovered secrets

"**Author's" note:** I totally dislike writing personal recounts. Never loved them, but in this chapter it seems important that we know a person's point of view, so I didn't really have much of a choice. Great news, holidays are here! Wee! Anyway, please continue to read and review and here's a big thank you to those who have. But I will get jealous if I don't get enough reviews which probably might add on to my procrastinating nature. :!

**After much consideration, I decided to combine the two chapters. **

**So there will no longer be parts. **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 4 – Some things are best left undiscovered **

_How hard it is, sometimes, to trust the evidence of one's senses!_

_How reluctantly the mind consents to reality. _

_**Norman Douglas**_

**IMPORTANT: ****The "event" on chapter four happens on a Friday, the last day where Mikan has to do the horrid cleaning job. **_(I know I should have included it earlier on, but still its not too late right?)_

o.O.o.O.o

In vampire society, there are two types of agreement. One in which is the one-sided agreement, the other in which both parties "benefit".

Gypsies or "Slaves" are people whom a vampire sucks from whether they are willing or not. This is the one-sided agreement in the vampire society, also known as a "master – slave" relationship which explains the name "slave". Though gypsies are the formal term to address them, vampires would rather call them "slaves".

Having a gypsy is risky business. When a vampire takes up a slave, he or she would be in a way connected with the slave through blood. Therefore should the slave die, the vampire would feel as if a part of him or her has been lost or torn away and would slowly lose his or her sanity. That is, unless he or she finds another slave. Because of this reason, many vampires are greatly admired when they take up this challenge. In the vampire society, the quality of the slave in the vampire society would greatly determine the type of vampire you are and your status. The slave is thus an important factor as it may be a vampire's weapon or a vampire's weakness and must be protect at all cost...

o.O.o.O.o

The sky darkened rapidly into a deep blue black, unveiling the tiny sparks that dotted across the sky. The silver pale full moon made its ghastly appearance, boasting of its unrivalled beauty. Lights flicked up instantly in response to this expected change, illuminating the cities, while somewhere in the countryside, flames licked hungrily at candle wax, burning through yet another long night.

It was late. Night has already fallen. Rightfully, people should mainly be at home, relaxing after a tough day at work. Some cursing, some laughing, some crying over heartaches, others rejoicing. Most might be out on the streets, grabbing a bite or partying at clubs. However, there is this minority of people, who seems to be doing none of this. This includes a lone figure currently limping pathetically through a deserted park and this figure happens to be a girl. In fact, it is our favourite brunette "strolling" leisurely along the small pathway towards home. Well, maybe not strolling, but limping as fast as she can.

The brunette cringed, shivering as a gust of wind mercilessly whipped pass her. Somehow, things haven't gone quite right for our optimist. She was awfully glad that her cleaning duties were well done. Thanks to them, she had to skip two of her part-time jobs and her bosses were certainly not pleased with that.

Sighing, the girl prodded her wounds, wincing as her finger came in contact with each bruise. To make matters worse, her muscles ached terribly from cleaning the corridor for at least three times with a small, flimsy rag to satisfy the evil "Jin-jin". The wounds of her hand had also started bleeding due to the rag which seems to be scrubbing her hands clean instead of the wall.

It was all thanks to that guy that she has to clean the whole corridor with only a small rag and no help. It was practically all his fault that she was unable to get into good terms with her teacher and definitely his fault that she was unable to socialise with the others. Never in Mikan's life had she disliked a guy so much, yet still felt interested in him.

Another sigh escaped the brunette's lip at her mixed feelings as she hobbled her way back alone to the small miserable estate in which she resides in.

o.O.o.O.o

_Meanwhile...a few metres away..._

"Kuso! (Damn it)!"

Wet raven bangs plastered against his forehead as cold sweat ran down his spine. His back leaned against the bark of the tree while his hands worked fast.

It did not help that he was bleeding, neither did he being mortal salvaged the situation. Why he was able to escape and breathing in oxygen now was merely a fluke. Even if he had wits and intelligence above an average person, it will not help unless he had pure luck, which was what he was lacking now.

Shredding the remains of his bloody uniform, he left one of its strips on the bark of the tree before proceeding to the next.

The vampire's sense of smell is a valuable assert, but it could also be rather misleading. This was one of the oldest tricks in the books. Though it would hold them back a little, they would still be able to detect him given time. Those sickening bastards would certainly be able to find him, but time is precious especially in times like this.

Quickly scattering the remaining cloths, he picked an ideal position to conceal himself, waiting in the darkness while tending to his wounds. He still had one more trick up his sleeve – it was time for the predator to become the prey.

o.O.o.O.o

"How fortunate for us that it is his soft month, don't you think so?" A shabbily dressed man scampered forth to walk beside an overly-build punk. His scheming eyes twinkled with treachery. The punk gave a sinister toothy grin, displaying his golden tooth to the whole world.

"Indeed, without his powers he is as harmless as a newborn baby," the punk smirked, slamming his fist into one of the trees, watching it split with satisfaction. He however frowned when the one he seeks was not where he thought he would be, instead he noticed a piece of bloody ripped cloth among the shattered wood. Rage burst from him in a frothy torrent.

"My, my, what an injudicious fellow we have here," a bemused voice emerged from the dark woods.

"Show yourself, foul mouth," the punk said with obviously forced patience. He did not fancy getting criticised even if he did not know the meaning of those words.

"A feisty one too," the voice purred out, making it a dead giveaway that it was a she.

The lady made her grand entrance, her mini skirt swishing around her creamy thighs as she stride forward to receive her guests. Her hot pink tank top was suggestive and sophisticated, barely covering anything. A white mask covered the features of her face, making her identity unknown.

One could describe the girl as a hooker with no shame at all at her indecency, but the punk wasn't fooled. Striking a pose, she gave an impish grin as the vampire that had once been standing upright, kneeled down as if to worship a sight to behold.

"Che! It's you," the punk walked away sardonically, beckoning his smitten partner to follow. However, his partner remained still, fanatical over the lady's charm and beauty.

"Awwww, is that how you treat a lady? And I thought all man are chivalrous." the lady flirted, scratching the chin of the enslaved vampire with a finger as the latter collapse in pleasure.

"All man to you that is," the punk snapped back arrogantly. The lady laughed haughtily, tossing her head back.

"Well, I only have one advice to give you, dear. Don't underestimate him."

With one last sentence, the lady vanished as soon as she came, winking at a particular direction before taking her leave. Growling, the punk smacked his partner hard on the head, partly because his accomplice had "opposed" him and certainly deserved it, but mostly due to his inability to control his anger and was in need to let it out. Smashing yet another tree, he watched with pleasure as the bark crumbled under pressure. It was then did he hear a soft gasp emerging from behind the tree.

A sadistic laughter erupted from his cracked lips as he raced forth, his hand shooting out to gasp the thin fragile neck of the person.

"So, this was what the lady was winking about, " he mused though slightly disappointed at his findings. Lifting the struggling person higher from the ground, he proceeded back to the other to brag of his catch.

"Let me go, you big ugly brute!" his prisoner cried in outrage, legs flinging in mid air as she attempted to kicked her capturer in his most vulnerable spot.

"I see you still can talk, girl," the punk responded, tightening his grip on the brunette's neck. The brunette in turn sank her nails into his coarse hands. The punk however seems unaffected and callously dragged the brunette along.

o.O.o.O.o

_**Mikan's POV**_

Everything seems to be rather eerie at night, especially if you are a defenceless girl walking through a deserted place with no one in sight, which is unfortunately what I am doing now. I wonder if there are ghosts here in the park. (Looks from left to right) Goosebumps involuntarily dotted my arms. If there isn't such a thing as ghost, then there would be zombies, won't there?

Okay, Mikan, stop scaring yourself, you have done this many many times, it's just one of those nights where you have to go home alone where there are many bad guys out to get you... Well...this is not really helping. Think positive Mikan, positive.

Wait, I hear something. It's a man's voice. It's coming from that desolate place. Oh screw it, the whole place is inhabited. I crept closer. Once again I was reminded of the phase, "curiosity kills the cat", but I didn't really care actually, brushing away the ominous feelings.

My, my, what an injudicious fellow we have here," a bemused voice emerged from the dark woods. It really freaked me out. A high pitched voice belonging to some ghost sounding in the middle of the night...I shuddered.

Backing away slightly, I realised something - I shouldn't be here. After all, Ji-chan often told me that it was rude to listen in on another's conversation, but...this could be an exception and anyway, what was "injudicious"?

Slowly brushing a stray branch away, I got a clear view of what was happening. Apparently there was this huge burly hunk standing right in the middle of a clearing. His leather jacket which draped over his huge build looked pretty exquisite, meaning that it must have cost a bomb. Gold chains hanging loosely over his chunky neck, clinked nosily as he walked. All in all, I would say he is one gangster that was not to be trifled with.

Beside him, however in contrast, was this hunchbacked fellow with broad shoulders and tiny scheming eyes that glints even in the night. He seems like the sort of swindler Ji-chan told me not to mess with, the type that could turn black into white.

"Show yourself, foul mouth," the gangster said with his booming voice. He was obviously displeased.

"A feisty one too," the voice purred out. It was a she.

The lady came into sight after the four words, strutting into the clearing. I must comment on how skimpy she looked with that black miniskirt and pink tank top. It was simply disgusting, a pervert's dream probably. Speaking of perverts, I have yet to get my revenge on that idiot who put me through so much misery. Crap, why am I thinking about him. Anyway, there's a white mask covering the features of her face, so I wasn't able to make out how she looked like.

The punk seems unaffected at her presence, dismissing the lady with a "Che! It's you,", but the hunchback fellow was a different story, he seems to have wobbly knees.

"Awwww, is that how you treat a lady? And I thought all man are chivalrous." the lady responded, scratching the chin of the hunchback with a finger as the latter collapse in pleasure. I seethed in indignation. To say that the lady was a downright bitch would be a great understatement and an insult to all bitches.

"All man to you that is," the gangster snapped back arrogantly. Somehow, I kind of agreed with him. The lady laughed haughtily, tossing her head back.

"Well, I only have one advice to give you, dear. Don't underestimate him." Huh? Underestimate who?

The lady winked at my direction before vanishing like a genie except without a poof that is. Wait, crap, did she just notice my presence? My entire body went cold as if dunked in snowmelt. I seriously need to leave now. Gulping down saliva, I hastily retreat.

A loud crack and smash brought my attention to the tree before me. He had noticed me, hadn't he? My eyes widened in horror as I was showered with splitters. Before I could stop myself, I let out a terrified gasp. The rest happened in a split second before I could even process what was happening. All I could hear was the gangster's evil laughter as his hand clasped firmly around my neck.

"So, this was what the lady was winking about, " the gangster mused though there seem to be something in his voice that I had not expected to be there, disappointment. He lifted me higher, choking the breath out of me. I struggled fto breathe, trying hard to live. Fear bubbled in me as I tried to pry open his hand even if it is a fruitless attempt.

"Let me go, you big ugly brute!" I managed to squeeze out, flinging my leg, intending to kicked the big brute in between his legs. Hot fury burned away my shock and fear as I swing wildly in attempt to escape from his grasp.

"I see you still can talk, girl," the gangster grinned a toothy smile at me, revealing a golden tooth. He tightened his grip on my neck, suffocating the life out of me. I, in turn, gripped harder, sinking my nails into his coarse hands. The gangster however was unaffected as I had expected, but nevertheless it didn't hurt to try. He appeared to be dragging me to the clearing to meet the hunchback. Somehow, I have a real bad feeling about this; I should have trusted my institution to leave while I still can. O why didn't I listen to it?

The gangster suddenly dropped me onto the ground and for the third time in the week, I landed on my butt with a thud, panting for air. Why he did that for? I have no idea. Glaring intensely at him, I noticed that he was staring blankly at something. I turning my head in that direction, chill swept pass me as I attempted to absorb what had happened. Lying there, seemingly dead was the hunchback with no fatal wound that could kill. Blood oozed out from the victim's forehead – the only wound he had suffered. I would have rejoiced that one of my to-be-torturers was dead, but I could not for the sight of such a gruesome scene. I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't obey. I wanted to scream, but none of the sound would come out. The punk stared at me ghostly, his face purple with rage. An aura of killer intent surrounded him...

o.O.o.O.o

_Her head throbbed terribly. She felt herself being lifted and sank into something soft. A ripping sound could be heard as a cool sensation rushed over her stomach, but left her top alone. She winced unconsciously as something dripping wet, dabbed at her wound – the gash that ran across her stomach. Her breath was shallow, while her pulse seemed to be slowing down. The smell of blood filled the air. _

_The dabbing stopped unexpectedly as a slow tickling motion replaced it, running past the whole stretch of wound. The scent of blood was instantly replaced by the sweet aroma of pine trees, lulling her to sleep. Summoning the last of her energy, she forced her eyelids to slid open. Hair, jet black as the night; red scarlet eyes similar to that of blood; Fair complexion, face bore planes and curves every bit, finely chiselled; Sharp pearly white canines protruding out of his mouth and tongue licking her wound? But before she could get a closer look, sleep claimed her._

His tongue flicked out lustfully for one last lick before grabbing the bandage dumped on the table beside him. Roughly circling the brunette's small frame with the bandage, he gently tied it tightly by her waist. He leaned back to savour his messy accomplishment, licking of the excess blood from his hands.

Surprisingly, the brunette's blood taste exceptionally sweet to his picky character. Given the small range of happy people he can pick, he was relieved that his prey had come up automatically knocking on his door. It was practically a blessing in disguise for him, but apparently not for polka dots here as he recalled the series of incident that happened just a moment ago...

_**Flashback**_

_"You witch! What did you do to him!" the punk snarled at the brunette, his fist clutching a handful of hair, causing the brunette to make a sudden rise to her feet. The brunette cried out in pain at the sudden tug of her hair. Somehow, she seemed awfully familiar..._

_"I have nothing to do with this," the brunette snapped back defiantly despite her predicament. O, I remember, she's the irritating newcomer, Imai's best friend, polka dotted pantry girl, the girl with the fiery temper. The skimpy bitch earlier on had probably called the wrong person feisty. Fear shone in those chocolate pools of her eyes though._

_I grimaced inwardly upon realising that my wounds have already recovered into another scar. I have two choices now. I could save baka youjo down there or just leave. Preferably I would take the latter and leave the poor girl to die after all it is my soft month and she deserves it for poking her nose into business she could not possibly handle. She was not meant to get involve in this. I also don't need any more trouble and responsibilities._

_A nagging guilt however pricked my conscious as I rose. She had after all unconsciously become my bait to kill that bastard. Stupid morals. Besides, without his partner, this lowly being is just brute strength with no brains, killing him would be an "easy" job for me. A strength alice should be simple. He is better off dead anyway._

_The brute now had a knife at hand, preparing to shed blood with it. Whatever I intend to do, I better act now. I have no idea why, but my mind and thoughts were only concentrated in strategizing and killing that bastard instead of escaping. Queer, but true._

_Unsheathing my own dagger, I nicked a small cut on my hand. The brute as I had expected diverted his attention in my direction. The cut had now healed into nothing, but a thin line. Moving swiftly to another tree, I watched as the brute swung his huge fist into the tree I was in. With one last bound, I dropped to the clearing, my dagger clashing with his knife, resulting in a dull ringing sound. _

_To my satisfaction, he left the brunette alone, sending her slamming into the tree. He, of course, didn't need such a hassle. I clandestinely stole a glance at her, she was still alive but in a semi- conscious state. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins as I dodged every one of his attacks, but the dull misery that pained me every night had also made its appearance as blood drifted up my nose. _

_Our blades now kissed consecutively, while his punches grew rapidly. Neither of us had the upper hand, but neither of us were losing. That is, however, certainly going to change._

_My agile body slid under his blade once more as he recklessly changed forth. Bad move, it had already been foreseen. I send a kick on his upper torso; my hand twisted his into submission, forcing him to disarm himself. Lowering my body to a crouch, I flung him over my shoulders, slamming him onto the hard soil ground. Not allowing the brute to have any chance to react, I instantly planted the cold steel blade of his onto his neck with a foot on his chest. He was indeed as I have said: just brute force without brains, a real pity._

"_Who sent you?" I demanded, though I already knew the answer. I just needed to confirm my suspicions. He smirked arrogantly at me, his eyes challenging me to force an answer out of him, the eyes of a fearless murderer. There was however, no need to waste a direct command from him. A groan brought my attention to the girl. She was already stirring. Not good, I didn't need her to get involved with all of this._

_Taking advantage of my distraction, the punk yanked my foot away from his chest, catching me off balance. He lunged in my direction as if to steal the knife from me. Automatically, I leaped back, whisking the knife out of his reach._

_He, however, had other intentions. Digging his left foot into the ground, he scooped up his knife and started in the opposite direction – where the girl was. I cursed, darting forth to thwart his intentions. I didn't even hesitate to consider why on earth I was saving this mortal's life. _

_Polka dot doesn't seem to be aware of the situation. In fact, she didn't retaliate when I pushed her aside and suffered a slash across my arm. Her hazel eyes only fluttered open as I brought her to safety, but immediately widened in alarm as she pushed me away. I was confused when she did so, but in that lapse of time, there was no time to address my feelings for I heard the knife swish past my side. I grabbed the girl, but it was too late. She had already taken the blow for me. Foolish, considering that after all my efforts to safe her, she still got hurt with one big gash across her stomach...Stupid youjo..._

Done with cleaning his fingers, he headed to the toilet to wash up, glancing at the brunette once more. A surge of pity for the brunette and a twinge of guilt welled up in him, but were immediately suppressed. He couldn't help but feel indebt to the girl after she took that knife meant for him though he could very well survive it. However, at the same time, he regarded the sleeping figure currently lying blissfully on **his** bed with disdain and annoyance. It has been a long time since a girl had even entered his room, what more sleep on his bed. She had no right to do so though he had allowed it, seeing the circumstances. He could not afford to trust the other servants though money would certainly help in keeping the servant's mouths shut. Frowning at his jumbled feelings, he entered the toilet, shutting the door gently.

He was somewhat grateful to learn that his father was yet again out for business. It didn't matter anyway; he was usually not at home. Though the owner of the house was his father, he could very well be the master of it due to the fact that his father was always absent at the dining table...

"O ni-chan?" A soft and gentle voice disrupted his train of thoughts.

Shucks, all thoughts of Aoi had slipped out of his mind. O well, she wouldn't tell anyway. He trusts his sister. Beside, she's not the kind to gossip...is she?

"Here," he casually replied, "but get a pair of your clothes here before entering, I need your" he hesitated, "help..."

"Hai!" her cheerful reply came as he lifted the switch to the shower to give himself a thorough wash.

o.O.o.O.o

Mikan's POV

I had a dream, a very queer dream. In it, I was walking back from school and I "happened" to witness something undesirable. I experience the most terrifying thing that could happen to a girl, yet I was more angry than afraid. To sum it all, I'm suppose to feel immerse pain by saving my saviour, but surprisingly I don't. I must be in heaven then since what I am laying on, probably the clouds, feel so soft and fluffy like hawalon, similar to that of a bed?

My eyes sprang open, blotches of spots dotted my sight as my eyes attempted to adjust to the surroundings. A luxuriously furnished room, I would say, but an unfamiliar gothic environment. Dark red ceiling glared back at me while shadows crept across the walls. Gilt framed windows met my gaze as I found the only light source available in the room. Thin frowsy drapes hung over the windows, sweeping the floor as the wind blew on it. A stylishly designed table along with a chair were placed directly below it with ephemeral flowers neatly arranged in a vase. A red armchair, a distance away from the bed held a boy around my age. In fact, he looks strangely familiar, those glossy black locks of his stirred up parts of my memory. His body seems to be rather stiff despite being unconscious, his body language seems to tell me that he is in pain, even though sleep is suppose to bring you peace and serenity.

I began the slow and excruciating process to sit up for a better view, leaning my back against the wall. A sharp stinging pain however made me regretted my actions, forcing me to abandon the rest of the effort to sit up straight. I let out a small yelp, reacting to the pain burning at my tummy.

"Oi, polka dots, hurry up and get out of my room," the boy speaks. He was awake and staring emotionlessly at me. With the same old expression when I first met him.

The memories of our previous encounters suddenly flooded my mind, including the one the night before though it was still pretty fuzzy. But more importantly, it is him. The one who has made my social life a mess, the one whom everybody seems to craze about for god knows why, the prince, Natsume Hyūga is currently in front of me.

Ahhh!! And it is not that type of favorable fan girls'"ahhh"s but argh, why am I in his room with him?! And did he just tell a sick and injured patient to get the hell out of the room when the patient can't even sit up. What an arrogant jerk! Unruly and proud!

I kept my peace though fuming at the insolent boy in front of me. It will do me no good to talk to this type of people. But how could he even utter such a horrid thing? I returned his gaze with a fiery glare. There seems to be this awkward thick silence in the air, where writers would call it "pin drop silence".

I was suddenly aware of my change of clothes from my old uniform to a silk pinkish white nightgown which seems to be a size too small for me. Where my uniform was I had no idea. But more importantly, who changed my clothes?!

There is only one person in the room. So does that make him the person who...it makes a lot of sense given that he is indeed a pervert...hmmm, won't that mean...Ahhh! I will never be married off, thanks to him!

"You pervert!" I screamed, immediately pulling the covers closer to my chest. Instead of looking remorse which he should be, he looked fairly amused at my sudden change of mood. Well, the nerve of that guy! I had to get out of here, from this sick pervert. No way am I going to stay here in this room. God forbids what will happen if I don't. The anger and hatred towards him is certainly overpowering my curiosity.

Clenching my teeth, I started for the door – my one and only escape. It seemed quite far though. Bravely ignoring the piercing pain jabbing at my stomach, I took my first step, just to feel the rush of air past me. My body began to fail me as I headed right down to the floor. Things just have to get worse, don't they?

The shutters of my eyes jammed close, awaiting the impact. But it never came, thanks to the hand enveloping my stomach which made me wince even more. It was him (not that I am thrilled) and for the second time in the week, he was holding me in a way too close for comfort.

I would have preferred him when we don't meet – he, skipping class ever since our first meeting (though it seems that he does that quite often), while me, avoiding him as much as possible.

I was about to express my gratitude to him despite the fact he picked a bad spot to break my fall, when he gave a sudden push, roughly shoving me back to his bed. It still hurts, though not as much when I sank into his bed instead of the hard cold floor.

"Baka, if you want to leave, don't dirty my floor," he puts it across bluntly.

"What?" was my dumb response as I stared skeptically at him.

There was some kindness in his tone and actions before disappearing as soon as I had discovered it, but still he needn't phrase it and act it in such a terrible way. Wait, wasn't he at the armchair? I blinked blankly, dipping my head down to think. How did he manage to get here so fast? And that grip around my waist, isn't it far strong for a mere human. Now thinking about last night's event, their fight was beyond ordinary. Was the person who cleaned my wounds him? Did he also lick my wound and posses such razor like canines...nah, I must had been dreaming that part, and moreover, you are thinking too much, Mikan. Still, there's something strange about him I cannot put a finger to.

Speaking of uniform, it kinds of remind me of something.

"School!" I burst out in panic. Was this it? The first few days of school and I'm already pawning them. No! This shouldn't be!

"Oi, polka dot, stop screeching,"

I sent a death glare over. A creepy aura surrounded me.

"Firstly, my name is not polka-dots. It is Mi-kan. Secondly, it is YOUR fault that I am able to socialize with others. Thirdly, it is YOUR fault I have to clean the whole damn corridor till my hands are sore and bruised," I attempted to reason, watching as he shrugged casually, while leaning his back on the wall at quite a distance away from me. It was as though he had no business in whatever I am saying. This however got me even rifled up.

"Fourthly, it is YOUR damn fault that the teachers are unhappy with me and may even kick me out of school. Fifthly, it is still YOUR fault, I missed school today. Sixthly,"

"Enough, if you have so much time to blubber nonsense, then concentrated on healing. I don't need a nuisance in my room," he hissed venomously with an obvious hint of authority in his tone.

Rightfully, "nonsense" and "nuisance" would get one at the tip of the boiling point, but I was the opposite. Strange, isn't it? It sort of brings back pleasant and unpleasant memories of my past which I wish not to discuss.

"Gome nasai," I whispered though I doubt he could even hear from that distance. Surprisingly, his face revealed shock as if to my words, but was instantly replaced by that emotionless mask of his. Does that mean he has superhearing?

"Polka dots, it's a Saturday today," with that he walked away, closing the door behind him.

Saturday? Doesn't that mean I needn't go to school! So I did not miss school after all and to think I actually forgot. The side of my mouth jerked upwards, but immediately in the opposite direction as pain shot up my body. Looks like I have to stay here until school starts. It seems that he allows it too. He must have kindness instilled in him despite his cold demeanor under that mask of his. There should be something good in him as Ji-chan always say. I smiled; maybe he is not so bad after all.

**Ending note:** One more question for you to ponder on: Who is that woman? I need comments please on my plot and story. Is it going too slow or boring? I don't mind if it is nasty. Just need some to improve on my writing. :)


	6. V5: Suspicions

"**Author's" note:** Ekkk! I'm bad. I hadn't update since...let's say...a month? Gaboo! I feel simply horrid. R&R as usual and thank you for all the "recent" reviews. Happy reading: Like what I have done for chapter 3, I deleted the story, but I didn't add anything. So it should be fine if you skip this chapter for those who have read.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 5 –Suspicions**

Sun rays strayed passed the only pair of windows, illuminating the dark room in an instant. A brunette lay on the king-sized feathered bed, refusing to make the effort to move. Pillows sprayed all over the floor, while the exquisite silk blanket was ungratefully kicked aside.

Her chocolate brown eyes scanned her surroundings, fervently hoping that this was some kind of mistake, wishing that something would change this predicament of hers. But no, she was still in his room, facing the dark red ceiling with his pillow at hand (which smelt vaguely of pine trees rooted in damp forests, but that is beside the point) and with a wound that was inflicted on her just two days ago.

Something did change though. The wound did heal greatly to her relief. Compared to the first time she was aware of the wound, the pain had lessened by a fold. Still, this wasn't really the change she wanted. Nevertheless she was glad that she could finally put her feet to the ground. Cuddling the pillow closer to her chest, she proceeded to do her favourite hobby – daydreaming.

She really felt terribly guilty, having to deprive the owner of his own bed. But it was only deserving of him, since that **pervert** left her all alone in his room, injured, with no form of communication and caged like a bird. She grunted to herself in agreement. He certainly was not worthy of sleeping on such a fluffy bed.

Shifting her position to her side, she stared at the large pair of windows draped with translucent curtains. There were locked unfortunately. Her thoughts drifted to the owner of the room. He sure is one strange fellow with inhuman strength, astonishing speeds and perfect hearing that could probably even hear a pin dropping from a mile away if he concentrates. And those two canines of his, she wondered if they were for real. She had caught a glimpse of them, but was unable to make out anything else other than the fact they are pretty white teeth. His complexion was rather pale, though slightly better when she last saw him, but to say that he looks perfectly normal would generally be deceiving ones' self. All this traits do remind her of something though, some creature she simply could not think of now.

A sudden rumbling noise brought her to attention. Jolting up into a sitting position, the brunette attempted to locate the source of the noise. She was half annoyed and relieved when she realised that it was only her tummy. It could not be blamed though. Dinner last night was just a bowl of chicken porridge which she had "happened" to find on the table along with the note. But of course our dear brunette had set her eyes only on the food and not the note.

Her stomach gave another growl, warning her of the potential dangers that would happen to her if she did not find food soon. She needed to get out, not trapped in this room (though a very comfortable one) like some injured cat.

Sliding off the bed, she headed for the door in an attempt to open it. It had been locked before dinner time, but still it wouldn't hurt to try busting the door open. After all, she was meant to be free like a stray cat.

She swung her weight on the door, hand twisting the knot with all her might. Her reward? Emerging, to her surprise on the other side, but immediately feeling the wind gush past her as she fell flat on the floor. Her waist length hair swept after her as she disappeared behind the door. The door seizing its opportunity, slammed viciously shut, refusing to budge regardless of the times Mikan tried to force it open.

Mikan gulped. What has she gotten herself into now? There was only one thing to do in this situation – wander around.

She glanced around, aware of her surroundings. Walking forth, she turned to see a long stretch of corridor. One side leading to a lighted spiral staircase that lead to who knows where, the other side was suspiciously illuminated with small pools of lamps into an abyss of darkness. She would honestly prefer to take the stairs, but somewhere in that abyss, came the sweet melodious melody of the piano. Being the inquisitive fellow she was, Mikan headed in that direction. To her, her stomach was already full from the excitement, adventure and curiosity bubbling in her.

Meanwhile, a single note in the room lay innocently on the floor. In it contained the very important advice that the brunette had just blindly ignored: "Stay in the damn room".

o.O.o.O.o

He blinked, narrowing his ruby eyes. Somehow, he had foreshadowed that something was going terribly wrong for somewhere along the corridor, he could have sworn that he had heard the banging of a door, specifically near his door or even his door. He's guessing the latter, basing his analytical choice on the brains polka dot has. Didn't he lock the door? Damn, he forgotten to after he dumped that bowl of goo on the table. Still, hadn't he given that idiot a warning not to get out of the room?

Shrugging, he returned his gaze to his manga at hand. He had already done his part in helping her heal and graciously allowed the brunette to do more than step into his room. It was up to her whether to listen or not. Apparently, she hadn't. Therefore, should anything unspeakable happen to her, it was certainly none of his business. After all, she solely deserves it.

Despite having to confirm that fact, he could not concentrate on the pictures that flashed aimlessly past. Stupid girl, he silently cursed, shifting his position in a fruitless attempt to erase those ill feelings of unease, while listening more intently to his sister's soothing playing. It did not help much though.

A firm tug on his shirt brought his attention to the small figure beside him. He eyed the boy, puzzled at his actions.

"Natsume ni-chan, who's the other visitor," the child mouthed his concern, all the while having his eyes fixed on the pianist. They certainly did not want to disturb the engrossed musician, who was now running her fingers up and down the keys of the grand piano, producing a cheerful tune.

"An old hag" Natsume mouthed back, without giving a single glance at the kid. The child, used to his antics, merely shook his head sympathetically at his brother's pitiful plight. There will always be ugly old hags in this world chasing his brother, particularly those crazy vampire bitches that screeched every time like crows when they enter. Their desperate attempts to flirt with his brother were hilarious, but simply irritating like flies that just wouldn't buzz off.

Youichi observed his brother once more and couldn't help but raised an eyebrow in silent question. His brother had a bored expression on that face of his, but the child wasn't fooled. For all he knew, his brother would never allow any strange ape into the house. Even if a vampire fan did creep into the house, she would have been annihilated by now, but what is that look of unease on his brother's face. That was certainly unusual.

A suspicious look was plastered on the child's face as he sneaked a stoic gaze at his "brother", before turning his attention back to the pianist. Natsume rolled his eyes, slamming his fist into the boy's snow white hair, causing a bump to sprout out from the boy's head. He then returned to "reading" his manga. (_OOC!!_). Both however were well aware of the presence behind the door. The pianist was in bliss though, unable to hear the creak of the door, as the curious figure peeped in.

Youichi frowned. His lips parted to mouth another question, but the pianist crashed her fingers onto cords, making all who listened cringed and all to be silent. She glared venomously at the two boys with a fed up look on her face.

"Will you stop talking behind my back!" she cried in outrage, roasting them under her fiery gaze and this is why you shouldn't try and incur a lady's wrath. She had noticed it for quite a while already, her brother and her best friend whispering who knows what when she wasn't looking. It has caused her to miss a few keys and fumble with her cords, making the once perfect piece sound queer.

The two figures appeared unfazed by her sudden outburst of rage. Natsume had put down his manga, but was giving her an are-you-done yet looks, while Youichi was a direct imitation of her brother, just without the manga and with his stunning white hair. One can practically see that they hang out with each other too much. Letting out a sigh, Aoi knew very well that these two fellows do not fear anything, let along the wrath of her.

Youichi made a sudden movement and with inhuman speed, got a firm grip of the stranger's hand behind the door. Spirits swamped behind the girl, lurking to kill. With a rough jerk forth, Youichi revealed the uninvited guest.

Natsume was certainly not surprise to see the bubbly brunette edging in by force. He was only amazed at how different the brunette had appeared in his sister's nightgown than in school uniform now having a good look at her, without any obstructions, namely his silk red blanket. She looked…much more attractive.

'Eh? Oni-chan's girlfriend!" Aoi cried with an element of surprise in her voice.

"Aoi-chan?"

Mikan stared back at the girl, pausing to think a while before bursting with outrage, wringing her hand from Youichi's grip.

"GIRLFRIEND?!"

She glared at Natsume accusingly with an irritated and infuriated look.

"Aoi, don't sprout nonsense" Natsume addressed his sister sternly as he stood up from his comfy zone.

"But, but...you brought her home didn't you?" Aoi argued. Youichi stood, thoroughly confused by the series of event.

"She and I have some unfinished business," Natsume answered coldly, folding his hands before him as he leaned on the couch. Silence engulfed them as each of them studied the situation before them.

"Eh? Do I know you? You just called my name," Aoi randomly popped up. Mikan sweat dropped. Youichi looked slightly interested, while Natsume stared emotionlessly at the brunette.

"Mikan!Mikan! Invincible Punks? Running like mad?" the brunette hinted, flinging her arms dramatically up and down.

Natsume now looked amused. So the girl's name was Mikan, but what was up with the other words.

Aoi appeared to be in deep thoughts, murmuring Mikan's name over and over again. The words did seem to invoke some of Aoi's memories as a sudden light bulb flashed wildly on her head. Not literally of course.

The background undergo a sudden dramatic change of flowers as the two girls rushed forth for an embrace, a scene rather touching if not for the two possessive males stepping in between them with their arms outstretched. With a flick of their fingers, they sent the brunette wheeling to the corner of the room, away from their object of affection.

"No baka germs," they stated in a monotonous way, nodding to each other in agreement as they stood each on one side of Aoi.

"Ni-san! Youichi! She's injured. You should know better than to lift a finger on a woman," the ungrateful girl knocked both on the heads lightly. "Though I didn't recognised her when I dressed her. She had changed a lot." She whispered, enough for no human ears to detect.

"Oi Aoi, who is she?"

"O," she replied casually, "a girl who was working in a pathetic restaurant somewhere in the muddy streets one of the guys took me to. Not to mention it had a really measly pay." An imaginary knife struck Mikan at the word "measly" and "pathetic". After all, that pay had allowed her to survive and buy Hawalons. "The guys went too far though and Mikan tried to defeat them. She was a delinquent, I guess seeing the way she fought." Another knife stabbed Mikan as she heard the unintentional insult. The boys stared suspiciously at her.

"The boys however were stronger than we thought they were, so after we kicked them in between their legs (the guy's soft spot...) we had to run. And we went to her house to hide anyway. It was terribly worn down. There wasn't even a living room!" The third knife came smashing. Aoi was somewhat right about the living room, but to describe her living conditions as terrible would be quite wrong actually. She loved her "apartment", it was comfortable though...cold every time she returned. The boys now looked pretty determined to keep the "delinquent" away.

"O stop it, will you," Aoi eased her way pass the boys to help Mikan up. They then pass the boys and slump down on the sofa for a long awaited talk. The boys shrugged finding another place as they watch the girls. Never had they seen a smile so bright and cheerful on Aoi as now. This girl was certainly something.

**Ending note:** Review! (I know I crammed in some random ending, but I was eager to update. haha)


	7. X6: The start of hell

"**Author's" note:** Finally! It's done! And just before Christmas too. Grins. Anyway, I spent the whole day revising stuff here and there. Do remember to leave a review after reading. I thank all who added my story to their favs and those who have reviewed. All in all, I wish all you readers out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 6**** – The start of hell**

A coarse hand slammed onto the table, almost breaking it in response to the two copses lying before him. How dare they fail when they were one of the best he had?!

"Dispose of these failures!" his voice was a deep booming baritone, not bothering to disguise the anger in them. Hot fury burned deep in his veins as he collapsed onto an arm chair. How could that filthy royal blood handle two at once?!

"You are all dismissed, leave me!" He snapped, waving an impatient hand.

Sensing their master's dreadful mood, the terrified slaves and servants fled instantly, lugging the corpses along with them. Only one was left, mocking his direct orders. Grabbing the nearest item he could find, he flung the porcelain vase across the room, intending to hit the lone figure standing there. The vase however smashed across the wall instead, shattering into a million pieces that could never be replaced. The figure walked forth with a taunting smile of someone born imprudent. Light revealed a lady dressed in skimpy clothes and a white mask.

"Pink panther," he snarled a curse, reaching for something else to aim at her.

He was however stopped by a crushing force which gripped his arm. The delicate skin of the lady brushed across his face as she climbed onto his lap.

"Chill, let's not be hasty. I bring good information," her voice curled over him in her usual drawl. She released his arm and wagered a photo in front of him.

"See here, the new plaything of Hyuga," she jabbed in the middle of the photo. The man relaxed unconsciously, pulling the lady to sit on his lap.

"If you do capture her, he will come to you."

She pointed her finger to another position.

"How do you know he will come," the man questioned her. She snorted, and without warning, kissed him full on the lips as if telling him it was a foolish question.

"I have a feeling he will, someone will either sent him or he will come himself. After all it seems that this girl is important, too important to lose..."

o.O.o.O.o

_**Flashback aka Dream**_

"_Will you play with me?" A desperate plea resounded above the noise._

_The dark figures that were once playing paused, their heads whipped at his direction, but none dared to even answer him, what's more fulfil his simple request. Taller figures immediately rushed towards their child, pulling them from his sight. They bowed respectfully and left, urging their child to do the same. In no time, the playground was cleared. _

_The child swallowed hard, fighting the urge to cry. His bangs conveniently hovered over his ruby red eyes. Turning to the last person, he asked once more, this time with more sincerity, expecting an earnest reply. _

"_Ka-san, will you play with me?" _

_A female vampire pregnant with her second child rose from her hidden spot, coming into view. Her raven hair was coiled up neatly in a bun. Her eyes, a perfect shade of red, eyed him sadly. The vampire shook her head, ruffling the child's raven locks to ease his disappointment. He will lead a hard life, being one of the last male royals. Flopping down on the swing, she beckoned the child to her side. She grabbed the child's hand and held it gently against her ever growing tummy._

"_But, she will play with you in a few years time," she gave the child a gentle smile as she watched the delight sprang back into his eyes._

"_Really?"_

"_Hai, you must protect your sister, okay Natsume?"_

_The lady instructed, preening her child's hair fondly. The child bobbed his head up and down, puffing up his chest as his pride swelled up in him. He rested his head against her tummy, hearing the miracle that was growing within. _

_They sat quietly for a moment, each savouring the precious moments that would never last. For in the near future she would be gone from his life, gone to the heavens above, leaving him only with her last will as a mother._

_Startling the child by suddenly getting up from the swing, the lady reached out her hand to her child, waiting for him to accept it. The child gave an untainted, innocent smile as he placed his hands unquestioningly onto hers. Together, they headed home, leaving the swing in its slow rocking motion..._

"Natsume, lesson's over," a voice whispered beside him, interrupting his dream. He stirred slightly, allowing his comic book to slide from his face – an indication to his best friend that he was now awake. A hand shot out, successfully catching the comic book before it could touch the floor. Ruby cat-like eyes slid opened shortly after the book was slammed shut in his hand.

This was not the first time his best friend had disrupted his sleep, but it was certainly the first time he had such a "nice" dream of the past, which was not what he needed to be reminded of. Dropping the comic book into the drawer, he noticed the class had indeed ended. The mathematics teacher, Jin...or whatever he is called has just exited the classroom. Chattering, gossips and even occasional squeal erupted in the classroom, almost turning him deaf, especially the loud soprano voice of a certain brunette before him, comforting yet terribly annoying. She apparently, was calling out to Imai, who had plainly ignored her. She stole a glance at him, but immediately looked away with a mixture of suspicion, fear and disdain.

Several days had passed by since that incident. Both parties had come to an agreement that both will remain a stranger to the other, though one was obviously threatened to agree. Since then both have been true to their words despite the furious glares the brunette gave him. Still, they made no contact nor breathe a single word to the other. But recently the brunette had been casting him more than just angry glares and she certainly wasn't doing well to hide any of them. Her eyes would slide to its side and eyed him in the scornful, fearful, but surprisingly suspicious manner as she had done. In fact she had taken the liberty to stink the whole classroom with garlic and onions.

What on earth was she thinking?! Practically everyone, whether vampire or human crinkled their nose as she walk past, distancing themselves at least 10 feet away from her. At last, Imai saved the day by stealing and disposing or those foul items. Still the brunette reeked of the thick pungent odour, causing everyone to shun her, steering out of her way. It was definitely connected to him. Natsume could somewhat figure out how much the silly brunette had known about his identity. He admitted that he had been rather careless around her. He was not going to like what he hears when he confronts the brunette. She wasn't supposed to be involved in this. He growled. This was getting too troublesome. Dragging his bag off the chair and over his broad shoulders, he headed for the exit.

"Natsume?" Ruka called out; puzzled by his best friend's actions, but the vampire just waved his hand dismissingly and walked out. Ruka sighed, sometimes he just doesn't understand him, but since he had the whole day free to himself, he might as well make the best of it. He hurriedly packed his items and left quickly to escape the clutches of Hotaru Imai.

o.O.o.O.o

"Order! Fish chips 3 plates, lamb stew 1 large and erm...1 plate of lemon salmon," she shouted above the din. The rusty wheels of her skates spin once more in the direction of the counter. Scooping up a tray of drinks, she headed towards a couple, nimbly avoiding the pervert at table 13. While her physical being was at the café, we can't guarantee she is mentally there too. Natsume Hyuga, that bastard. A few days ago she had incidentally chanced upon a book that prompted her to guess the true identity of that guy. "Dracula" it read on the headings. The similarities between Dracula and Natsume Hyuga were pretty close. Both were incredibly mean and love to torture others, so says Mikan Sakura the victim. The onion and garlic had not work to her dismay, but decrease her popularity even more if she even has it. Dark clouds hung morbidly around her. Her day has once again been spoiled by that idiot.

The door bell clinked, signalling a customer. Forcing a sickeningly sweet smile to her lips, she turned to face her customer.

"**Irasshai...mase" (****_guess who?)_**

The devil has arrived and without warning grabbed her on the wrist and started pulling her away.

"What are you doing?!" she hissed in rage, putting up a futile struggle against his grip.

"I have work to do. I'll get fired. Unhand me!"

But the customer made no reply, dragging her along without care.

"I'll sue you for sexual harassment, I swear,"

Natsume glanced at her, fairly amused yet annoyed. Does this girl ever shut her mouth? He did not dare to test it out and he resorted to clam a hand directly over her mouth, muffling her meaningless curses. He smirked when the brunette quiet down, leading her with an iron grip towards a back alley. He was however puzzled on why there were people after the brunette. O well, they are going to be quits with that. On and on they went, twisting here and there until Mikan could not tell where she was. At one point, she was "asked" to remove one of her skates, then another at some other place. Finally, they reached a dead end, to Mikan's relieve. She was getting slightly nauseous, thanks to the sharp turnings here and there.

"Be silent, I mean you no harm," Natsume finally released his hold on her mouth, which he regretted when the brunette raised her voice.

"Hyuga, what..."

Thankfully, before she could say a word she was cut off by him.

"They are coming."

"Who?"

Natsume snarled a curse, pulling the brunette towards him. Twisting and tapping something, a door open to reveal a small enclosed place full of junk rubbish. As soon as they entered, the door snapped silently shut. There, he pushed her on the ground beside a huge item, following after. With that done, he draped a dull coloured cloth he had found from some washing line over them. A finger pressed against the dent on the brunette's lips. It felt unexpectedly soft to him and had a sudden urge of stroking them. Erasing those thoughts away, Natsume waited patiently for their intruders to pass. His sight focused on a small hole at the side. It was not long before they were rewarded with footsteps. Mikan squirmed uncomfortably beneath him to get a better view of the hole. It seems that she was quite observant. But this wasn't really the best position to be in. Natsume gulped he felt his blood surge and his heart hyperventilating a little for his liking. This really isn't the best postion to be in.

"Darn! Where is she?" a scrawny rough voice snapped impatiently. Natsume focused his attention back to their intruders.

"Quit ye yelping and go search over there. She should be around here. If we can't find her we're going to get skewered" another voice responded.

His eyes narrowed to get a good look at them.

"Crap! Her scent stopped here. They must have gone to the roof top." The first voice said.

"She ain't here," the second voice replied

"Shucks, they must have tricked us!" the first voice cursed. A huge thud was heard right after that, possibly from the leap taken by the second voice to return to ground. Both then foolishly left without fully combing the place.

Just for assurance, Natsume waited until he could hear them no more, before removing the cloth. They were lucky that second voice missed the blind spot.

"Can you get off me now?" a very pissed voice came from underneath him, reminding him of the position he was in. Smirking, he leaned forward instead, whispering mischievously into her ear, "What if I don't want to?"

The effect was hilarious to him. The brunette had stopped wriggling and was staring at him, terribly annoyed, but one could not miss the horrendous blush on her face. He snicker softy at her reaction but his laughter was still audible. It angered the brunette even more. Natsume lifted himself from the brunette. He stood up, listening to see if the two pursuers had enough sense to come back. Convinced that they aren't, he stared at the brunette who had already gotten up. She was just a feet a way from him. He couldn't help but size her up. 'The waitress uniform did look better on her than the school uniform,' he mused. His eyes roamed to the spot below the ear lobe, just below the jaw, the perfect place to bite and draw blood out of that fair skin of hers. He shook his head, sensing another urge and battle coming on. He cursed violently.

"Get away from me, baka youjo!"

He snapped through clenched teeth, shoving the brunette away. His jaw flexed dangerously, face contorted with pain. The brunette however did not heed his warning and remained frozen at her position. He heard his name from her parting lips, each syllabus was another complication.

Waves of pain seared through his body, penetrating his soul as he struggled to hold back his cry for help. Hungry flames enveloped him as the temperature soared to an uncomfortable height. He backed against the wall for support, oblivious to the flames that crackled around him.

The bottle of blood pills which he was holding melted into a pool of liquid which slipped in lumps off his hand. The capsules released the scent of a familiar smell – blood. The little remains of the glass shards pierce into his skin when he unintentionally clenched his fists into tight balls, allowing gaps for the dark liquid to flow out. It dripped, forming swirling and sickening designs on the floor, intensifying the scent of blood.

The scent wafted past his nose, just a tiny whiff of it, but it was enough to break the vampire and release something much sinister. It was enough to make him lose control of himself. The flames tamed itself, dying down into a small ball of fury which whisked around its user.

The brunette approached the dangerous person before her.

"Nat...s..."

But before she could even complete the word, she was pinned against the wall at inhuman speed. Two hands shot past her head, slamming onto the wall, trapping the brunette in a human cage. The owner leaned forth, closing the distance between both bodies such that the brunette could feel the heat radiating off him. His head buried further into the crook of her neck. His tongue flicked out similar to that of a predator, slowly cruising up the side of the brunette's throat, sending an involuntary shudder down her spine.

Her eyes widen in shock and horror as she felt the cold canines pressed against her skin. She was right, he was a vampire. A sharp pain coursed through her veins as the two canines piercing her porcelain skin, working their magic. She stifled a cry of pain as the canines dug deeper. Blood gushed out of the wound, satisfying the vampire.

Was she going to die? Her surroundings are starting to spin about her, whirling threateningly. She was still young. How did her so-called saviour become her murderer? She felt her energy being sapped away as she struggled against unconsciousness. How was she going to prove that she was no useless person? Too late, she told herself. Closing her eyes as she let the inevitable happen, sliding into a semi-conscious state. A hand somehow supported her back as she sank downwards into oblivion.

**Ending note:** This is a pretty short chapter. Hmmm…Anyway, reviews!


	8. S7: Dreams

"**Author's" note:** Another chapter up. I apologise for the lateness. I'm glad for all your reviews. And I'm definitely glad that the story is progressing. ^^ Many have added my story to their favourites. I was definitely thrilled every time I receive one of the mails. Grins. Many thanks to all my readers and have a Happy Lunar New Year!!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 7 –**** Dreams**

Every vampire needs a contract. At the age of 18, when one is considered mature, every vampire will have to enter a contract whether they like it a not, be it a one-way or a two-way. If not, the vampire would lose control of his instincts and be considered as a dangerous subject. Those vampires called rejects hunt human indifferently for survival. It is considered a disgrace if a clan has even a reject and it will be necessary for the clan to "clean up the mess they made" by erasing them from existence.

o.O.o.O.o

Narumi froze at the sight of the figure before him. His back stiffened as panic rose in his chest. Cold sweat drenched him entirely as he approached the site.

His instincts and worries were right. He had made a trip down to her work area to reassure himself, but look what he found, a still Mikan lying by her side.

"Damn,"

There was too little time to prepare. He should have kept a closer eye on her, but no, he had believed with Imai by her side and her own perfect instincts, it would be absolutely safe. He should have known better, after all this was Mikan we are talking about, careless naïve Mikan. Gathering his courage, he stepped forward. Each step was a torture for him, but hope had not abandoned him yet. He recalled the past events and sorely regretted not objecting to that old man's decision to send his granddaughter into a predator's lair when he was still alive. Damn. He increased his pace, his senses desperately finding a sign, an indication that she was alive, a sign that would calm his nerves.

His efforts were not in vain. Relief poured through him when he heard the faint, but sound breathing of the girl. She was still alive. A knot in his chest came undone as nervous laughter bubbled past his throat. He had not failed that old man.

A little soft-hearted sigh escaped his mouth as he crouched by Mikan, fondly ruffling her hair like he used to do in the old days. She would forbid him to do so now as it appeared childish to her opinion. He was greatly impressed yet depressed at her declaration to become mature. Genuine laughter now escaped his lips as he recalled the events of the past. Such foolishness the child had possessed then, he should have trusted…he should have trusted…He paused, laughter dying down at the base of his throat as he stared at what seem to be two holes buried into Mikan's throat, the work of a vampire. Instantly, his face underwent a drastic change turning a pale white. Red flushed across the cheekbones. Anger hummed in his veins as he noticed the dried blood cluttered near her skin. The air still hung thick of her scent. How could he have overlooked that?! He was late and careless.

Coldly staring at his surroundings, he scanned for the culprit. He had unconsciously stalled time for the culprit to escape. Now the vampire was gone. It would be difficult to trace a vampire who left no piece of him behind. A terribly skilful one.

Wrapping his coat around her small frame, he backed away from Mikan in sorrow and indignation. He would never be able to touch her fair skin again, seeing that she is now a gypsy to another if she survives. Perhaps if he managed to kill or obtain the approval of her master, he could. Still, it wouldn't be the same. Nothing will be the same again, since the brunette is dragged into the realms of the vampires. Was this part of her grandfather's plan? It saddens him tremendously, but at the same time he ponders and wonders why her? He frowned, creases lined his forehead. The vampire had not killed Mikan, for that he is tremendously grateful to the havens. However, that bastard made her his or her gypsy instead.

Mikan had shown no signs of struggles too. Therefore, it is most likely she knows the vampire. This was important information, as well as the information that the vampire is currently having his soft month, judging by the depth he sank his teeth into her neck. Narumi narrowed his eyes, determined to personally hunt down the vampire, but before that, he has tons of questions waiting to be answered. But the most urgent and in need of a reply was why had the vampire not taken her along, having made the girl a gypsy? Besides, this was not the time to think about such things, Mikan's life come first. She is still not out of danger.

o.O.o.O.o

"Foolishness! Did I not warn you to wait?! Now you have raised Hyuga's guard! Well done, well done indeed" Pink panther screeched through her teeth, sarcasm dripped venomously from her words. Her infuriated eyes burned right into the punk's golden eyes as they met, sending shivers down his spine. She was definitely furious. The frighteningly strong aura of hatred and killer intent tells it all.

The punk made no comment even though he had realised the folly of his mistake. He merely watched warily as the lady fumed, harshly throwing every curse she practically knew at him. He too was mad at his followers' incompetence, leaving them to both in cages of **rejects** to rot or get drained, but at the same time he felt a twinge of guilt for not heeding her advice. Normally, being the head of such a large notorious clan, he would have blown his top and killed her at the rate she was criticising that pea brain of his, but he needed her for his goal to be reached. She was a brilliant strategist, just not the type to execute them, just the material he needed. He, to her was a punk of power, perfect guinea pig to carry out her plans. She was making use of him; he was making use of her, both controlling the other, both seemingly gaining from this partnership. However, the punk was no longer sure that it was this case, he seem now to be solely dependent on her, what's more was that he couldn't move an inch even if he wanted to. With the atmosphere so tense that it could kill such a great person like him, he could not afford to lose his pitiful life. He could hardly even breathe.

The Pink panther finally grew silent as she paused in deep thoughts. After much awaited and uncomfortable silence, she finally speaks in a cold, purring, soprano voice.

"I trust you will not do anything unnecessary; I need to plan the next move. We shall let them enjoy for now."

With that, she threw a frosty glare at the punk before leaving the room in cold empty silence. The punk sagged, mentally reminding himself not to incur her wrath a second time. He was sure he could not withstand it another time.

o.O.o.O.o

The world is heating up. My head rings painfully with every throb. I feel weak and feeble just as I was when I suffered the blow. Oh why does he always do this to me? This is worst than hell if I am not already in it. Something is changing. Something within me is stirring. A memory?

_There is an old man standing in front of me, dressed in traditional costume. His bald head gleamed in the sunlight as sweat ran down the sides of his head. His deeply lined face seemly stern but worried. Who is this familiar figure, standing directly in front of me? Who? I shook my head clear. __Oh __Silly me. How could I have forgotten him, the one who brought me up, the one who loved me so dearly even though he did not dare to show it? I beamed, moving closer towards him. His arms were crossed before his chest, always his unusual way of welcoming me. I smiled, his name forming so easily in my mouth, but his name came from behind me instead. _

"_Ji-Chan!"_

_A smaller version of me ran past the present me. _

"_Baka! You are all dirty again,"_

_The old man's gruff voice chided the child. Hitting the child lightly on her head, he turned away from us, walking away. Wait, isn't this the last time we met until he disappeared._

"_Ji-Chan!" _

_I called as he walked past me, unknowingly that I am there. The smaller version of me was following him happily. _

"_Ji-Chan! Don't go!"_

_My hand reached forward to grab his, but slipped right through. It was then did I realise he cannot hear me. Desperate, I turned to the child. _

"_Stop him, please, stop him"_

_But my younger self merely skipped forward, unknown of the disaster that lies ahead of her._

_This is ridiculous, but I seem to envy myself and hate the child before me. Why do I feel this way? Why won't he look at __**me**__?! Why doesn't he see __**me**__? Why isn't he hitting __**me**__ on the head? Why am I letting him go? Why…why…am I remising of the past…_

_The scene before me shattered into pieces and I find myself falling once more as I had into "unconsciousness"._

o.O.o.O.o

It's here again. Another memory? No, a vision.

_I'm calling someone. Who? The__ name that rings so pleasantly on my tongue as if perfectly fitted for it, but I can't hear it, neither can I see the person whom I'm wishing for. A certain sadness enveloped me, a certain loneliness crept into my heart. Why? It's killing me so. Why won't it stop?! This excruciating pain from the heart, this bitterness I feel. The air around me seemed to be crushing this small fragile body of mine. Please, someone, make it stop. Tears dripped, coursing down my cheek uncontrollably. Who knows if they were tears of despair or pain? My hand automatically reached for my neck, something was there, engraved deep in my skin. A mark?_

_"Mikan, dear child" _

_A pure, weak yet beautiful voice curled over me, breaking me away from my trance-like state. I was more than aware of the smooth fair hands that lay warm on my cheeks, refusing my urge to look back. _

"_Return to the world you belong and look forth," they say. I felt calmer. The pain was ebbing away. _

"_Help him…" her voice came again, this time a soft whisper, fading away. Who? I shouted in my consciousness, but she was gone and my eyes reluctantly flung open. The world of light cordially welcomed me back with the sight of my godfather's back._

"Tou-san...where…am…I?" I managed to croak out, literally surprised at this stranger's voice. Nevertheless it did work, I caught his attention.

"Thank god you are awake!" Narumi swung around dramatically, wrapping his arms around the blanket and me. After much wordless persuasion and choking, he finally released me.

"So…where…"

"The school's sickbay," he cut off my sentence as he poured a glass of water and handed over to me. I gratefully gulped down the liquid in an instant. It did soothe my throat a little.

"How long have I been unconscious?" I curiously implored. My head is starting its protest once more. The events before I woke seem to be far and vague from me. Using both hands I cupped my face, messaging my temples in the process. Huh? Wet? My face is wet. I cried? When?

"Kan? Mikan?"

"Yes!"

"Do not scare me again by sleeping another three days," he paused, noting my pale features.

"Are you okay? You have been stoning for a few minutes,"

I shook my head all too eagerly. He raised a suspicious brow, but kept his peace. I was glad he did. I couldn't answer if he were to ask. He somehow looked pretty worried about something. Aware of my gaze, he flashed an uneasy smile at me. He is definitely hiding something from me, but I don't really have the strength to find out.

"I have to go. Take care of yourself, okay? I'll pick you up later and bring you a new set of clothes. In the meantime, do rest," His hand appeared to reach for my head, but withdrew hastily. It took my apartment keys instead.

I nodded dizzily, waving an unsteady hand as Godfather left. I was still feeling rather weak and drained though I have been asleep for three whole days. If I'm not going to be expelled from the school, I'll probably be sack from my waitress job. I released a heavy sighed. My head is still getting pounded by a steel hammer and the old wound at the stomach is acting up again. Speaking of disasters, this all reminds me of that guy. Wait…that guy…that guy…isn't he…eh…a…vampire?!!!!

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

The memories before I conked out were all coming back to me. I really did scream all my lungs were worth though only for a few seconds. It was pretty worth it considering what I have been through. I ended up almost puking my lungs out after that. My hands reached for the nape of my neck. Indeed there were two little holes there, but this action…it really seems nostalgic… But the main point is, that idiot Hyuga took my blood for lunch without my consent! Wait, according to Bram Stroker…does that mean I'm a vampire! NOOOO!!!!! This cannot be true. This certainly isn't true; I don't feel any change in me. Everything seems the same. I prodded my canine. It feels…normal. I sighed. Perhaps this was all just a bad dream. Maybe if I rested and closed my eyes, everything will return to the way they were when I awake, to the time when Ji-Chan was still alive, the time when I was still naïve, carefree and happy. The time where I didn't know anything…

o.O.o.O.o

Imai Hotaru was not one to be inquisitive about things. She is not one who asks and ponders, but having not seen her best friend in 3 days was too much for her. Sure, she had chided the brunette harshly for bring onions and garlic to school, but knowing the optimistic brunette this shouldn't have been the reason for her absence.

Classes were never the same without the brunette. The cheery atmosphere she brought with her was never there. The class seemed to be deprived of her loud ringing laughter and her nonsensical chatters. It was all too boring and many have noticed it though some were terribly glad to see the brunette gone. Everything was the same as before.

On the other hand, Natsume Hyuga has been behaving abnormally or so she sense. True, he still skips classes and doesn't give a damn about being late, but something in his behaviour was different. He seemed bothered by something though he was successfully suppressing it.

Two mysterious incidents as these are certainly no coincidence. They are definitely linked and Hotaru is certainly going to get to the bottom of this and Ruka Nogi is certainly going to help her. A malicious glint could be spotted in those violet eyes of hers as she stared at the blonde. She was sure he noticed and wanted to know what's going on with Natsume too. She had been pretty annoyed the previous two days when she received limited information from her poking. Therefore, the only available source of information currently would be Natsume Hyuga, the man itself. O how she will enjoy when she successfully get the information from him. An evil grin presents itself to her lips. .

**Ending note:** Well, who would like to see Hotaru corner Natsume? (along with sweet Ruka-pyon) Hands up! Maybe I should include that, but I'm planning kind of not to. Anyway, reviews appreciated!!!!


	9. E8: Covering up

"**Author's" note:** Yay! I finished this chapter, took me quite a while. This chapter involves quite a lot of Hotaru and Ruka. Haha. I sincerely thank people who reviewed and those who support this story. I also thank those who have add this to your faves! So do continue to read and review!

p.s I'm craving for twilight and L change the world!!! AHHH!!! I think I will get them on my Bday which is coming, coming really soon!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 8 – Cover up**

"Imai –san, what are you up to?"

Nogi Ruka inquired with a considerable amount of suspicion. His hands toyed playfully with the rabbits, but his eyes watched the raven-hair lady with much alertness, observing her every move.

Still, the ice-queen gave him a slip, betraying none of her emotions to him. Her only gesture was that of raising her expensive flora collection teacup to her parting lips and sipping the liquid leisurely.

He sighed, disappointed that no words would come out of Imai's mouth. He focused his attention back to the rabbits.

Sometimes, just sometimes, he swore he could faintly see a little, a speck of Natsume in the ice-queen. Their cold personality really matches up to each other, but he admits that Imai was a much "kinder" person than Natsume. The fact that she did returned his poor rabbits back to him was a proof of that, but it still doesn't change the fact that that she had used an annoying method of kidnapping the innocent rabbits in order to trap him in this self-constructed artificial environment. Though the surroundings are giving off a very cheerful and friendly vibe to relax its user, the metal doors guarding the exit were sealed shut from the outside world. You don't need to be a genius to know that Imai was plainly keeping him here. In other words, this was a cage designed for him. And for whatever purpose Imai is keeping him here, there could only be one reason. It has evidently; certainly, most definitely have to do with...

"Imai, what do you want?"

Natsume. Well, with that Ruka's suspicions were confirmed. The "devil" has literally burst through the half melted doors. Though he seems composed and speaks calmly, one cannot miss the infuriated blood red eyes that glowered at the inventor.

"Unless you wish to melt Nogi alive as well, I suggest we have a pleasant talk,"

Hotaru appeared nonchalant, sitting patiently on her chair, which has been warmed for an entire hour. But if one is observant enough, you could see the slight tremor that course through her seemingly fragile form when Natsume made his grand entrance.

"Speak and be done with it,"

Natsume growled, apparently pissed off. He flung his invitation which had been sandwiched between his manga, violently back at its giver with amazing accuracy and speed: a photograph and a threat letter, careful not to let Ruka catch even a glimpse of it. Hotaru smiled inwardly. Her plan had work perfectly fine. She had been worrying for nothing.

To find Natsume Hyūga would be a great feat even for one as great as Imai. So the inventor made him come to her using the simplest method of holding Ruka Nogi as a hostage. With just a letter disguised as a gentle reminder, threatening to fling the most embarrassing photographs of Nogi from the roof top. Imai has successfully trapped her prey. She added another threat of exposing their locations during Valentine's Day just for reassurance. She somehow suspected the latter was what made him come, though she can't confirm, but all the same he came. She smirked. With that, she sprang another trap.

"Earl grey for you, sir?"

Natsume stiffened. He froze for a mere second at the familiar voice, turning his head a little too fast to face the speaker. In a split second, his mind registered the fact that it was a robot and not the real person itself. His body betrayed him by relaxing slightly.

Ignoring the robot, he grabbed a chair from Imai's table and made himself comfortable. He chided himself for his carelessness. How could have mistaken? The girl was not so polite and demure. He only hoped that his two audiences had not read much into it. Unfortunately, he was awfully wrong, missing out the fact that they were all vampires.

With his sharp eyes, nothing can escape those piercing baby blue eyes of Ruka. Hotaru has also noticed. In fact, she had been paying close attention. She waved a hand to dismiss Amanatsu. An evil smirk played on her lips. The critical last piece of information has been ascertained: The two crucial characters have met, Natsume Hyūga have personally met Mikan Sakura.

"So, you met her,"

Ruka raised a brow at his best friend. It looks like the ice-queen had no need to get the ball rolling. She smirked. It was time to grill a thing called "truth" out of the hardest nut to crack, Natsume Hyūga.

Hyūga cursed a loud one in his mind. The situation was getting even more complicated than he had expected.

o.O.o.O.o

_Pain. This familiar pain. It's so dark in here. My body appears to be heating up, especially the part where he bit. It hurts. It hurts so badly I wanted to scream. The pain, it's pounding on every piece of my body, building up as time crawls by. It sears up my body like a venomous snake. How far will it go? How far can I contain it? This was pure torture. My hands, they struggled shakily towards my neck. What is there? A mark? But it is too intricate to be one. There was something there; it feels faint but it is certainly there. My fingers traced it lightly. The tears are leaking out once more from my closed eyes. They were opening, opening...to what?_

"Wake up, wake up, you lazy pig, wake up!"

"Eh, the alarm..."

Mikan yawned, stretching herself cat-like, before toppling of the bed. Getting a firm hold of the alarm clock, she forcefully planted the device on her table and made her way languidly to the toilet, pausing just in front of the mirror.

She gulped. Her eyes focused on her neck. It was there. The mark! She squint her eyes for a better look. A tattoo of dancing flames along with a sleek black cat donned her neck just below the ear lobe, measuring the size of two fingers. It was small but highly noticeable, considering the flames were brightly coloured. She fingered the mark. Somehow she felt a sense of De ja vu. But the tattoo was really pretty, she admired it.

Breaking out of her trance, Mikan frowned. She didn't remember getting a tattoo and if she had not remembered wrongly, the school disapproves of tattoos. She wouldn't want to switch schools again.

Maybe a fairy came and gave her the tattoo. She nodded to herself, beaming at the though of dainty faeries coming in the night to reward her. But maybe it was because of that vampire? Mikan shook her head frantically in self – denial, reluctantly recalling the face of Natsume Hyūga.

Anyway what was she going to do about it? If she gets caught she could be punished and the thought of the previous punishment was not really appealing.

In the midst of her despair, she caught a glimpse of something. She grinned broadly. This would certainly work. Praising her intelligence, she proceeded to get ready for school.

o.O.o.O.o

"Ohaiyo Mina!"

"Ohaiyo Hotaru!"

The brunette charged towards the inventor, but was as usual hit by the baka gun, a comedy sorely missed by many.

Most eyes averted to the person who was just entering the class. Some bothered to reply, while others cheekily sauntered up to her and started teasing the brunette. Amongst them was the cheeky Kokoromi with earphones to block out people's thought especially the girl he likes, since he was with Mikan as he had taken quite a liking to Mikan's outgoing personality. Kitsume, Koko's said to be "twin", had also been hanging around with them, ganging up with Koko when it comes to teases and pranks.

In a few days during the time when Mikan and Natsume were avoiding each other due to the stomach incident, Mikan had made the effort to make a few friends. Doing the best she can, trying hard not to annoy people and helping whenever required. Her efforts had paid off; when she helped out in class cleaning along with Yū, Umenomiya - Chan (Anna) and Ogasawara -Chan (Nonoko). They have all become friends since then.

"Hey Mikan-chan, are you okay? You have been absent for quite a while,"

Mikan nodded her head in reply to Yū's question, but her mind was somewhere else.

Her vision had already strayed to the place at the very back. Natsume Hyuga's seat. And it was then did she discover a horrifying truth: she was sitting next to him. All the times she hadn't notice was due to the fact they keep on missing each other in school. When Natsume was in class, she was off for other lessons. When she was in class, Natsume was never present. However, she wasn't so lucky this time. Sitting at the back, with his eyes piercing through her was the man itself. His eyes strayed from her face to her neck, noticing the flimsy piece of plaster that covered it.

"Mikan-Chan, Are you really okay?"

Mikan absently shook her head, before realising the question and nodded her head furiously.

"Oi, so you came back, I thought you ran away just like a coward, a chicken clucking to another school," a voice sneered.

Permy stood behind Mikan, leaning on one of her foot. Her hands crossed before the chest which she was so proud of. Behind her, stood Mochiage, faithful to Natsume and at Sumire's wimp and fancy. Mikan sighed. She had not intended to make an enemy out of anyone, especially Permy, but she couldn't help it when the insults of Natsume slipped out of her mouth _(Chapter 2)_.

"Mikan-Chan, don't take notice of it," Anna warned, moving slightly left in case Mikan did anything rash.

"Mikan – Chan, you must not mind it," Nonoko added, moving to Mikan's right in support of her new found friend.

Mikan looked down, silently counting to ten before letting out a deep breath. She was glad that she had met Anna and Nonoko. Friends like them are hard to come by. Convinced that she is completely calm, she faced Permy.

"Ohaiyo...Permy!"

Surmire flinched. This wasn't exactly the response she wanted. She resisted the urge to smile back at the beaming face of Mikan Sakura. How on earth could she do that? For a while, she was speechless, but managed to gain back her momentum.

"I'm not Permy! It's Sumire, Sumire Shouda. What's with that plaster on your neck anyway, injured? Let us see,"

She scoffed, scrutinising the brunette.

Before Mikan could protest, Sumire ripped out the piece of plaster. A yelp of pain caused many around to cringe. Sumire pulled her hand back hastily, rubbing the sore tips of her fingers gently. It had stung her. No, it was the skin that had stung her. She glared at the plaster still stuck on Mikan's neck with indignation, but disgust turned to anger and disbelief as she looked at the spot which had been revealed. Her finger trembled accusingly at the brurette. For a moment, the group was silent. Every vampire in the group stared, awe -struck by the mark the plaster had revealed.

"Hey, Mikan– Chan, where did you get your tattoo?" Anna inquired curiously, breaking the silence. She pored over the mark in amusement.

"It looks so cool" Nonoko exclaimed in response, her hand reaching out to touch the mark. But before it could even touch, her hand was rudely slapped away by an angry Hyūga who had wrapped his arms around Mikan protectively, his back protecting the view from the rest of the class. The spot was immediately covered up with a swift movement of his hand. Circling the brunette's waist with an arm, he proceeded to drag the brunette along. His hands squeezed slightly around her waist to make her wince in pain.

"Rooftop," His voice was barely audible, but still heard by the vampires as he passed them. It sent chills down each of their spines. Mochiage and Yū held shock expressions, Sumire disbelieving, Kokoro and Kitsume horrified, while Anna and Nonoko were both clueless. But none was glad to see this match.

Kokoro nodded grimly at Natsume and took hold of the two clueless girls, while the others left for the rooftop. The doors of the classroom slammed shut as they left.

Two vampires sitting afar were blinking at the scene, namely the couple Ruka and Hotaru. Something was up. Both of them knew it. They have not been successful in extracting information from Hyūga. The only thing that they had managed to extract out of him was they have met, and it was exceedingly hard to get him to confess they did. It was all too disappointing for the inventor who was used to having large amounts of information.

Waiting a few seconds after the door slammed close, both eyed each other knowingly and headed to the door, passing Jinno who had just came in. But neither of them cared.

"Rooftop,"

Ruka nodded. Hotaru's information was never wrong.

o.O.o.O.o

"Erm...so that's how it is...Natsume's...erm...just...erm...playing her..."

Kokoro finished off lamely, feeling the suspicious glares of the two girls. Damn couldn't Natsume pick another person for this? He gulped. Natsume's thoughts were certainly terrifying at that time...

_If they tell anybody the truth, I will personally screw you and make your life terribly miserable no matter where you go. So keep in mind and stop reading my thoughts unless I want you to. Now leave and take the humans with you. _

And when Natsume Hyūga screws a person, he literally takes everything away from the person and reduced him to a useless piece of trash. Koko suppressed a shiver, this time due to the dark, angry thoughts of the girls. O why did he have such an Alice!!!

o.O.o.O.o

Natsume watched as his pale-faced subordinates leave. He knew he could trust them, but he wasn't taking any chances. Keeping them close and watching them would be the best option now, other than threatening each of them with their families.

Now for another issue...he glanced at the brunette. He needed her close to him too to monitor. Taking her as a gypsy was extremely rash of him. What's more she was a human. A vampire was forbidden to take a human gypsy. Hiding this fact would be incredibly hard. He growled, annoyed with himself. What exactly have attracted him to her? A human and a vampire, what relationship can they have...

"Polka-dots," Mikan turned to face him. She was sitting on the ground, pouting. Natsume had after all locked her up here with him on the rooftop. Mochiage had used his flying alice to contain her when they were talking. The results? A very pissed off, annoyed, irritated and scared Mikan.

"My name's Mikan. Mi-kan. How many times am I going to repeat it,"

Natsume ignored the remark and grabbed the girl by the arm, forcefully lifting her to her feet.

"So it's strawberries today, huh."

"Pervert!"

She spat back at the flame caster.

A side of his mouth curled upwards.

"Youjo, you are going to be my personal servant. Be honored."

"What?!"

Natsume gave a conceited smirk at her reaction. O how he love teasing her.

"Maid to be precise,"

"No way!"

The brunette gave an effort to free his hold on her hand. Natsume narrowed his eyes.

"You will youjo, you will,"

With that, he released the brunette and strolled towards the exit. Making a point to stop at one point and whisper: "Send her to my house; you know well not to disobey me," before leaving the rooftop, leaving a fuming Mikan.

Hotaru sat, frozen along with Ruka. Both were paralysed by the information they have just gotten. It was as if they just found out that their best friends had an affair. Natsume also knew very well where they were.

Ruka frowned. Natsume's different around the girl. It's disturbing, but there was one thing more important now. He glanced at his companion with worry.

Hotaru clenched her teeth, his manner itch her, but she knew she must obey his wishes. No one wants to have the Hyūgas as their enemies. She knows very well what he was doing, but this concerns her best friend. Damn. Why hadn't she kept a closer eye on Mikan. Things are going to get complicated.

**Ending note:** DING! Hotaru and Ruka VS Natsume equals 2 losses. Haha. Stay tune for the next chapter, before that, REVIEW!!!


	10. N9: A weakness

"**Author's" note:** Okay people! I have decided my deadline for chapters would be on the Fridays. If I don't update on a certain Friday, it means I will probably do so on the next Friday. I have been waiting for people to complain that my updates were too long actually…and someone did! YAY…thank you…o.0 I am so sadistic, aren't I, but that's beside the point. Updates will officially be on Fridays is what I'm saying. Once again thank you all for reading Vampire Fangs and reviewing and bothering to read my note. All in all, happy reading!

p.s I'm STILL craving for twilight and L change the world!!! And my Birthday is drawing nearer, so get ready your reviews as my Birthday present!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 9**** – A weakness?**

_"Mikan–Chan, you must understand. We cannot keep you here, the shop will close down if you do," the shopkeeper stated, rubbing his sweaty palms on his apron. _

"_Close down?"Mikan frowned, "Why? We were doing so well last month?"_

_The shopkeeper avoided her eyes. It was true that with Mikan around, customers have been streaming in. Thanks to her carefree and helpful nature, many customers have stuck around, but he couldn't afford to lose the whole entire shop than Mikan. Besides, the Hyuga cooperation had offered a hefty sum of money, enough to renovate the shop three times just to remove Mikan and a bonus worth two cars just for him. This was just the thing he needed to support his son, who was attempting to start up a business._

"_Sorry, Mikan-Chan, you are fired," _

"_But…boss…wait,"_

_Mikan reached out a hand, but could only helplessly watch as the guilty shopkeeper made his way back to the shop, determined not to be moved…_

This was not happening, her job, her only source of survival…it was gone in a flick of a finger.

Where? Where had she gone wrong? Her attitude? Her lateness in certain shift? Her work? Her recent absences due to someone?

'Meeting Natsume Hyuga' she answered herself dully. That was the only "wrong" she had suffered. Her body still remembered vividly the scene of him on her as he sank his fangs into her, trembling every now and then as each passing image flashed in the back of her head. Her hands unconsciously wrapped around her.

Up till now, she was still confused, scared and shocked though she tried her very best not to show it. She feared the vampire. She knows not of what he can do neither of what he will make her do, but she will not comply with his wishes. She will not go to the Hyūga's residence. Certainly not! She, Mikan Sakura, a human being, fully capable of doing the things she wants, will not do as Hyūga wishes. After all, she is strong though not strong enough to tell someone else of this god forsaken truth that Natsume Hyuga is a downright vampire. Who would believe her anyway?

'Tomorrow', she decided, she will start looking for a job and earn her keep, paying the tenant will come later. This little setback will not pull her down. Having gone through much hardship, this is only but one of them she will conquer. She cannot afford to change schools again. Besides, Hotaru is here for her and avoiding a vampire would not be hard…would it?

Nodding convincingly to herself, Mikan stride forward with renewed vigor. She must be optimistic and persevere up to the end. This was Ji-Chan's principle and she will succeed through it. Smiling, Mikan made her way down the path back to her small apartment, passing through the park as usual. This time, there were a few teenagers hanging around and the moon had not made its appearance known in the pale blue sky to Mikan's relief.

"Mikan-Chan,"

A soft spoken voice came from behind. Mikan swung around instinctively to meet the caller. She froze for a moment before addressing the girl.

"Aoi! What are you doing here so late?"

"Gotcha!" the younger girl exclaimed as she barreled into the brunette, dropping her bags full of necessities to the ground without care.

"O nee-san shouldn't have left the last time without my notice," Aoi stated unpleasantly, pouting as she did. Mikan laughed. She could do nothing to oppose. Natsume, that devil, had chased her out of their mansion when Aoi had conveniently gone to sleep.

Ruffling Aoi's hair fondly, the brunette reached down to retrieve the bigger bag, surprised to find it really heavy, but still manageable.

Aoi beamed, it was so typical of Mikan to help, but she could handle the bag very well on her own. Sometimes Mikan's help was excessive, but it was…gratefully nice.

"Don't you have a butler?"

Mikan asked curiously, prodding the bag with her free hand to show her point. Aoi shook her head.

"My brother doesn't like people in the house, so we don't have many servants. There are five or six at most. No butler though,"

"Your brother huh…"

The words trailed off, leaving an awful taste in Mikan's mouth. It reminded her of instantly of the vampire. Did Aoi know her brother was a vampire? Was she keeping it a secret while having her blood sucked from Natsume?

But Natsume love his sister. He doesn't seem to be the type who would take advantage of the girl though if it wasothers the possibility was almost absolute. Still, she does look a little too pale for her age. What if she was ignorant to it all like she once was? What if telling her will make her react awkwardly towards her brother and put her in danger? But what if she was in danger now? A million questions raced through her mind, rendering the brunette dizzy. In a moment of rashness, she blurted out, "Hey, Aoi…do you know your brother…he…"

"Huh?" Aoi replied cheerfully, her smile was one of those who were in bliss.

Mikan was stunned, tongue-tied at that very moment. She couldn't retaliate. She couldn't say it. She was afraid of shattering that innocent smile of hers, she was afraid of losing a friend, of being hated.

"Nothing…" Mikan murmured, "Anyway, I will see you home, it's late for a girl on her own." Mikan chirped, recovering into her joyful state while masking her own worry.

It was a double-edge sword, this decision. She might have to face him again, but at the same time she would be able to determine whether a not Aoi was in danger. But Mikan did not thought much about it, in fact, thinking always hurts her mind. Besides, she couldn't leave Aoi alone. She would take her chances and this could not count as her willingly going to the Hyūga residence. Circumstances have just forced her to do so. She puffed defiantly, oblivious to the irony she had caused.

"Hey Mikan-Chan, want me to tell you a secret about O nii-chan?"

Mikan divert her attention back on Aoi, giving her quizzical looks. The younger of the girl merely smiled a sly one, pulling the brunette closer.

o.O.o.O.o

The Hyuga mansion was as grand as one can expect, not like a vampire's castle or haunted mansion at all. Greenery twirled in fanciful manner around the bars of the gate, barely allowing an onlooker to peep through. However, as the metal gates sprang open, an eerie creaking noise could be heard, so similar to that of witches laughing at the sad plight of the enterer or at least that was what Mikan thought of.

Once inside, you are greeted by a majestic structure with plenty of rooms. It could simply take your breath away and that was what it did to Mikan. She was stunned. She had not such a nice view as this when she left the last time due to the untimely presence of the night.

Mikan gawked at the stature of an angel standing in the midst of water, tipping her vase slightly to allow a small stream to flow out. Her features delicately craved, her wings spread out generously - a truly stunning piece of structure, worthy of praises. But Mikan could not help but notice the wild untamed grasses ringed around it. Her eyes narrowed towards the back where a big swimming pool was situated. She could only see a large patch of brown. The hedges by the side were not pruned too. She frowned. The place was in desperate need of servants.

Aoi swung open the two doors, stirring up clouds of dust.

"Tadaima, O Nii-san!"

"Aoi, don't…"

Mikan sneezed, pinching her nose with her fingers. Her eyes noted the crisis the house was facing: Cobwebs hung heavily on the ceilings, the curtains were not drawn, the carpet was dusty.

"He's not in…hmmm…the kitchen is this way,"

An unaffected Aoi led Mikan past the stairs into the kitchen.

Relief flood through Mikan as she set the bag down on the floor, happy to be release of her burden and out of the dusty hall. She slumped down on the chair, scanning her surroundings. The kitchen was unexpectedly clean, probably because they have a cook. For that she is glad, but there was a curious odour coming from somewhere.

Mikan raised her head to face Aoi who was unpacking the items. She was however horrified to find her putting everything in the wrong place. The eggs were put in the freezer while the meat was melting in the cabinets. Her mouth hung ajar. The rotting smell from the food was what she had smelt.

Springing into action, Mikan corrected the young girl of her mistakes, while throwing away the expired products still remaining in the fridge and cabinets. The garbage was gathered in one bag, conveniently chucked aside by Mikan, to be taken out later. Mikan turned to face Aoi. There was one thing that is undeniably obvious in this house. It is in need of servants. Her head lowered, her fringe shielding her eyes for effect.

"Aoi, I have decided…" Mikan' started.

"We will…clean the house spotless," Fire burned in Mikan's eyes while an impenetrable aura of determination surrounded her as she looked up at Aoi.

Aoi nodded fearfully at the sudden burst of energy, backing away slightly, but was still dragged into operation. Under Mikan's beck and call, she gathered all of the cleaning detergent, brooms, mops and pails. They then started the mountain of tasks at hand with one goal in mind – get this house bloody clean.

3 HOURS LATER

Aoi collapsed wearily on the floor, her eyes drooping, threatening to close. The job was only half done and it was only the hall, but it was way past her bedtime. She was glad however that the windows were sparkling clean, the curtains were drawn, the floor was dust free and the cobwebs were somewhat dusted off. Still, they have not mopped the floor or take down the curtain for wash. The curtains could wait, but she doubt Mikan would leave the floor.

She yawned, staggering towards the stairs, but somehow missed a step and found herself falling. The next thing she remembered, Mikan was carrying her up to her room, changing her clothes and tucking her into bed. Mikan disappeared later down the stairs with a little protest from Aoi. But Aoi simply couldn't care less. She desperately needed her sleep and Youichi's blood. That idiot had not come today. Chucking down a vial of blood down her throat, she groggily place the vial back in her own personal freezer before sinking into bed.

Mikan put the cleaning tools away in the storeroom with great satisfaction. Finally, it's clean. The hall is cleaned! She beamed, twirling around happily before falling flat on her back. It had been a rush of adrenaline cleaning such a large place. She could feel a great sense of achievement creeping up on her.

She sat back to admire her work. The floor seemed to gleam back at her, thanking her for her hard work. The ceilings were in sight, clear of cobwebs. Oh, she would love to take down the curtains and wash them, but she felt the energy draining out of her. It was too grilling; her muscles were aching, her hands were raw and sore. Her body was shutting down, but there was still much to do. The staircases were not polished yet. The doors were not cleaned. The carpet still rather dirty need to be taken to the cleaner.She reckoned she will have to come for it another day, but she will call it a day for now, though quite reluctant to do so. After all, there was school tomorrow and it was clearly late in the night. She felt a slight twinge of guilt for dragging Aoi in as she got up, but this was her house too, so there wasn't really an excuse. The door creaked opened.

"Tadaima,"

"Okaerinasai,"

Mikan responded as a reflex, before she gulped, realising who she was responding to. She had obviously overstayed. Without any reservations, she dashed towards the exit. Her path however was easily blocked by the vampire, who had seized her hand and pinned them both behind her back against the wall, planting her in yet another human cage. Their bodies only inches away from each other.

"Oh, so you came,"

He had his arrogant smirk on again.

"Not for that reason," Mikan retorted, her voice slightly trembling. She had to be strong.

Natsume glanced at his surroundings, appearing pretty satisfied.

"I see you have done your job,"

"I only did it for Aoi, seeing you are such a selfish bastard to let your sister live in such a condition. So release me now, Hyuga,"

Mikan hissed.

Natsume narrowed his eyes at the insult. He will never mistreat his sister. The reason that the pathetic house was in this state was due to the incompetence of that fat lady who only came once a week. She had no right to judge him this way with such prejudice against him. Besides, he was planning to get a new set of staff last week, but it had just been procrastinated till now. He will certainly get his revenge on the brunette. He smiled creepily at the girl as an idea struck him.

"Surely you would like to be rewarded for your hard work," He leaned forward, whispering the next two words teasingly into her ears.

"I-chigo ka-ra,"

Mikan's eyes widened as she blushed shades of red. Was it her or is his voice surprisingly husky today. It's so… Her eyes squeezed shut, her mind refusing to fill in the blank. She must not submit to him. Her face was unexpectedly heating up. 'Must be the heat and the work,' she thought, but that is not the crisis now. She needed a clever remark. She needed to outsmart that cocky guy, but her brain isn't processing anything. In fact, it was hurting again.

Mikan shifted uncomfortably, her body brushing unintentionally against his and the heat suddenly intensified. How wonderful.

"I could keep you here all night until you can't go to school," Natsume continued mockingly. He nibbled mischievously on the brunette's ear, satisfied with his little payback. He had expected the brunette to squirm, but the only reply he got from her was a "Huh?".

Natsume frowned. This can't be right. He retreated, only to see a very confused look on the brunette. She didn't get it…She did not get the last sentence. My god, how dense could this girl be?! Natsume resisted an urge to slap his forehead, but he was not done yet.

But before he could start again, two hands clamped over his ears and a seemingly impossible thing occurred. Natsume Hyuga blushed. His head instinctively turned away, shielding the faint tinge of red on his cheeks.

Seizing the chance, Mikan grabbed her bag and rushed out of the house, amazed yet smug about the thing she discovered through putting it to test - Hyuga's weakness. Mikan didn't want to believe it, butAoi was right about it. Mikan grinned wearily as she trudged home. She had something to defend herself against the vampire now…or does she?

Back at the Hyuga residence, a very shocked Natsume stood, but broke into a laugher as he came to his senses,slumping against the wall.If the brunette thinks that she had gotten his weakness, she was terribly wrong. She cannot escape his clutches.

Grinning, he made his way up the stairs. Tomorrow would certainlybea decidingly amusing day. But before that, a certain sister of his should be tortured to death. Perharps there was an element of truth in him "mistreating" his sister.

**Ending note:** It's pretty short, but the next one will be longer, so please give me my Birthday present.


	11. T10: Kisses

"**Author's" note:** So sorry!! I know I'm terribly late (it's a Saturday  )and I didn't update last week. (Pouts guiltily) I did say I would update on my Birthday. But it was way too fast. I couldn't come up with this chapter in 2 days, could I? Haha. Anyway, the usual thanks for review and support. Happy reading!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 10 – Kisses**

"_Did you hear?"_

_"Of course, I did. The small boy, he's suppose to be Hyuga's new ace, isn't he?"_

_"The destined heir,"_

_"But I heard the elders have no mercy when it comes to conducting the test for a worthy successor of the ace,"_

_"And there is still competition from other families,"_

_"Ahhh…but he is most likely to get it, after all, he is the only one so far who possesses the flame Alice. He has the edge over everyone."_

"_Shh…here they come,"_

_The hall ceased of murmurs and whispers as two figures strolled into the hall, a young charming lad clad in exquisite clothes and a fine elegant lady dressed in white. The boy though young had already shed his childish look to replace with a more mature and emotionless look. His hand was placed in the care of his mother as they threaded on the soft red carpet._

_The lady stood by him, tall and proud, striding long steps such that the child had to quicken his pace to match hers. But each step she took was placed with much grace, unique only to her. The female vampires huffed with jealously as they watched her loose dress swept after her. Ryona Hyuga, current Ace of the Hyuga clan. On her face was the same stoic stare as her son, with features stunningly beautiful even within the vampire community. Her mark unmistakably blazed in a ring around her arm - an amour surrounded in flames. Together, both mother and son looked perfect as they briskly past the bowed figures._

_Once out of the door, Ryona firmly held her son's hand, leading them towards an isolated area, where they could be alone. Ascertained they were not being watched, Ryona sagged against the wall, her back hunched slightly, exhausted by the events. Whatever performance they had put up, it was merely a façade._

_Her lips pursed, pressed firmly into a thin line. She still had not informed her husband and the elders of her pregnancy. It had been hard to hide it from them, but she will as long as she can, for the sake of this child. It was best they did not know of it until the competition was over. She patted her stomach contentedly, but glanced at her other child regretfully. She could however do nothing for the child. He would have to go for the competition and she was definitely displeased with it, having had a taste of it herself. She wished not for her child to be like her, but even the ace had not much power to oppose the elders. Besides, Nii-san, the king, second in the clan had agreed that Natsume would compete, dashing her last hope of getting the child out of this predicament. _

_She muttered incorrigibly under her breath, wondering fervently whether it was because he had lost to her in the previous competition. What pettiness! But she would not badmouth her husband, though thoroughly unappeased by him. Did he not understand what the child will be going through? Had he no heart to involve his own flesh and blood in vampire politics? Foolish man! Stupid Nii-san! _

_Natsume was now fidgeting uncomfortably. His emotions were practically spilling over. He had obviously heard what those T10s were saying before they entered and was greatly disturbed. All the talk about the competition was making him nervous and unsettled. In the first place, he had absolutely no idea what to make of it. No one would tell him anything, no one seems to care about his feelings. What's more, his own mother was showing signs of anger, which he promptly deduced was because of him. His own father had "abandoned" him, leaving him to the mercy of the elders. _

_It was all too much for a child as young as him, regardless of his maturity, to handle emotionally. The only thing he knew was that his future would be paved with thorns, jutting out, scaring him as he passed, but that will not deter him. _

_Two hands covered his ears as the soft lips of his mother brushed across his cheeks, planting a chaste kiss on the poor confused child._

"_Ka-san," he whined in protest, avoiding his mother's face out of embarrassment. He was still not used to the sudden affection his mother showed him now and then. Ryona released the child, merely chuckling at the blush her son harbored. A smile etched across her face as she cheekily teased the child._

_"Ahh…Natsume's blushing,"_

_The young boy scowled, obviously disgruntled by his mother's actions. His mother smirked, ruffling that heredity raven hair of his. Perhaps she could do something for him even at the cost of her life. Turning her tone to a more solemn one, Ryona lowered herself to her son's level, her hands clasped over his ears for a second time. _

_"Natsume,"_

_The boy tensed, sensing the seriousness behind it._

_"Hear not of their foolishness, son. Follow your own beliefs, have faith in your abilities. The future is yours to create, so walk down the road you pave. I will always be there for you"_

_Natsume nodded obediently. His face still shielded from his mother, hiding the stray tear of relief that rolled down his cheeks. Someone did care. He felt his mother's lips on his cheek again and the soft murmur that followed after. _

_"I love you, Natsume."_

"Liar…" his voice murmured.

Ruby eyes flung open as footsteps approached the Sakura tree. His mood darkened considerably. 'Ruka' he groaned inwardly. This wasn't exactly the way he wanted to meet his best friend, but he knew it would come – the confrontation. It was just a matter of timing. Reluctantly, he slipped off the branch, landing gracefully at the balls of his feet before the blonde male.

"Why did you make her your slave, Natsume? You of all people should know the odds of it. This isn't the particular situation to take up a slave too. If you had wanted blood the others could provide for you, so why?"

Natsume did not reply. He too had no idea why he had taken that little girl as a slave. Perhaps it was the craving for her blood, the desire that he had not felt for a long time. He just allowed himself a moment of weakness and the whole world has changed. Damn! He wasn't able to finish the job either thanks to a certain blonde who had thankfully interrupted him, causing a whole lot of trouble for him.

Seeing that his best friend don't intent to answer, Ruka spoke on.

"Natsume, she has nothing to do with this. Do not complicate her with our affairs. There are many out to get her. She would become your weakness. You cannot do this to her," Ruka paused, waiting for his friend to speak, but once again Natsume disappointed him.

"The elders will not overlook it, Natsume. They are waiting to exploit you. All the resistance you have put up, is it for nothing? What will you do? Pretend it never happened? Even if you did order the erase of her memory, she will still be in danger. "

Ruka eyed Natsume, searching for an answer, but still the raven-hair lord refused to voice out. Misinterpreting his silence, Ruka narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to kill her? Imai will kill you regardless of your status. I will protect her even from you if…"

"Ruka, I plan to keep it a secret,"

Ruka looked thoughtful for a moment. His mouth shaped in an 'o', before coming back in a softer tone.

"Can you?"

There was an awkward silence for a brief second.

"Have some faith in me, Ruka"

Natsume hissed so low in a mocking tone that Ruka almost missed it. Ruka smiled. His reply still hanging in the air as Natsume stalked away quietly.

"So be it."

Natsume will solve the problem by himself. He hoped so secretly.

o.O.o.O.o

_Ahh…It's back, this dream…how familiar, how antagonising. The pain, threatening to rip me apart as it course through my body like a serpent. Heat radiated from my body, intensifying each time I move. I bit back my tongue, muffling a scream. It hurts. It really hurts. Tears squeeze past the lids of my eyes, dripping into the darkness that surrounded me. Once more, my hand inched towards my neck. The mark was there. A certain emotion seemed to grip me. Wait…there's a dim __light. O…it's just my eyes opening. Huh? What is that?_

I tumbled out of bed, landing with a hard thud and my face flat against the ground. Not a pleasant experience since my hand was stretched out in an uncomfortable position as if to gasp an invisible object before me. It was that dream…again, but why can't I recall any of it. I laid there, too lazy to move. My mind throbbed as I tried to recall that mysterious dream.

It wasn't easy though it was the same one that kept repeating for days. It kept slipping from my memory as if forbidding me to know of it. I frowned, frustrated yet curious.

My brain rammed harder against my skull as time ticked by, indicating it needed a break, so I succumbed to its will (if it had one) and resorted to mobbing my tear stained face with my blanket. Somehow, crying has become a trend in my dreams. I would always end up crying for god knows what reasons and I hated it. I had after all promised I would be strong for Ji-Chan (though it had seemed to be a one-side promise). I twisted my body to lie on my back.

I had gotten home pretty late last night. Last night's event was still clearly imprinted in my head. That stupid raven-hair vampire cornered me again, but this time I had his weakness. I beamed. There was nothing to fear. I wouldn't even care if I met him straight in the face. I could just simply use it to escape, but it is best to avoid him. I wouldn't want him to bite me again. My hand roved towards my mark. When will it come off?

I wonder what happened the last time. Why did he not suck me dry? There are so many things I want to know, but my head started to protest again. I sighed, it literally hurts to think.

I trudged towards the toilet, but paused when I saw the clock. I was going to be in the late list again. With one last shriek, I hurriedly got myself dressed for school. Everything was that stupid vampire's fault!

o.O.o.O.o

Mikan groaned. This was too much of a coincidence, fancy meeting the number one person she was deliberately trying to avoid early in the morning. Fate was definitely cruel to toy with her already screwed up life. What could possibly be worse? She really didn't mean it when she said she could meet him in the face. Argh!

There was only one thing to be comforted about though. She knew his "weakness". Worse comes to worse she would just use it to escape, right? Her chin squared and determined. Who was afraid of the big bad vampire? She could get through this easily. Yes. Well…She could…Her courage had started to fade at a rapid rate.

On the other hand, a very surprised Natsume stood directly opposite of her.

A gust of wind playfully lifted the hem of her skirt, bringing her attention back to the vampire.

"Neko, eh…" he cocked a brow, grimly amused. The familiar trademark smirk was poised on that gorgeous face of his.

"Pervert," Mikan screeched back, her hands automatically at her skirt. She somehow got a feeling that the small "breeze" was manmade. But besides that, there was something different about the vampire today.

He was handsome, Mikan admit, far too handsome with such god-like features that couldn't have even existed. Then again, vampires should not even be on this face of the earth, but right in front of her was one.

The sun rays shone directly above him, highlighting his unruly raven hair, which framed his fair face with remarkable contrast. The light breeze fluttered past playfully, teasing his hair, rustling it ever so slightly. He doesn't seem affected when he stood out in the sun, opposing Stoker's theory. He was comfortable with it. Two bemused ruby eyes pierced through her as if reading her thoughts. He flashed a smile, exposing a pair of wolf-like canines. They were strangely larger than before to her, but that was beside the point.

'He is a perfect being,' she thought, though only in terms of appearance. His beauty was one that was incomparable to any other. But well, reality beats the imagination out of you, his personality is crap, there is no way for him to be prince charming. She glanced at him again, but could only perceive a faint outline.

In a flash of a second, Natsume was behind her, his breath tingling against her skin. He was much faster and for a moment, Mikan felt a wave of panic course through her.

"Like what you see?"

Mikan shuddered.

"No," she lied confidently, feeling outrageously bold, even when he was a hair strand away behind her. Her voice however trembled slightly, portraying her fear. In a fleet moment, she swung around to face him with both hands over his ears, slightly relieved and surprised to find that she had not been stopped. As expected, the unavoidable red flushed across his cheekbones, but what was different this time was that he had not turned away. Instead, his gaze still lingered on her, his smirk even more arrogant than before. This was not good. She gulped, she was in big trouble. Her traitorous legs would not move.

"You own me twice, kitty," his voice purred seductively as he lowered his head to her shoulder, disposing of the plaster that concealed his mark. He brought her closer, nuzzling the spot where he had bitten. His teeth gazing pass the spot affectionately, but froze as bitter realization struck him. His lifted his head, face in agony, but quickly masked it. Her blood was singing out to him.

"I…I will scream…"

With a blink of an eye, Mikan felt herself being released and the vampire a good measure of distance from her. Natsume snorted, composing himself. He was hungry, but the brunette was right. There were many looking even if it was a deserted part of the school.

"Why did you come here for, polka-dots,"

He needed her to leave. Partly because he wasn't sure how well his self control is, but mostly because she was in **his **spot. Over the months, He had grown exceedingly fond of this spot. After all, it had been quite a spot considering that no one ever comes here to bother him though there were occasionally "truth or dare" people whom he had expertly scared away.

"This isn't your spot! Anyone can come here!" the brunette pouted.

"Well, it is, so back off,"

"No, it isn't"

"It is,"

"You have no authority to mark it yours,"

Natsume raised a brow in amusement, appearing right behind Mikan again.

"Oh, is that so,"

"Get away from me,"

Mikan flung her hands back, but foolishly tackled the air instead.

"Remember your maid duties, polka dot. Today, after school at my place. You can try finding a job if you want, but you won't get it."

He grinned haughtily as he saw the brunette's head swung up towards the Sakura tree, her glare defiantly meeting his.

"I won't go,"

Natsume shrugged.

This was taking too long. His body was beginning to take its toll, but it didn't really bother him.

His mouth curved into an impish smile as an idea struck him. In a swift motion, he swung down from the tree, landing gracefully at the balls of his feet before the startled figure.

His finger traced the side of her face.

"I can make you,"

"No, you can't!"

Mikan started, but before she could utter another word, she felt a pair of lips crushed hers. Heat rose to her cheeks as she felt a burning sensation rippled through her entire being. Her hands felt like jelly, refusing to obey the commands of her mind. She could not push him away, instead to her embarrassment; she clung onto his shirt for support. Her knees were wobbling and threatening to buckle. It was brief, but enough to shock the brunette.

"So this is how kiss feel like," he muttered softly under his breath. A hand held his chin as he thought.

"You still own me another, Polka-dots,"

Mikan stood stunned. Her first kiss…was stolen just like that, by a bloody vampire.

"NATSUME!!!YOU BAKA!!!!"

A loud screech traveled throughout the whole school. With that, a very pissed brunette stomped away, leaving a very amused Natsume.

Natsume sagged against the tree, his fingers pressed against his lips. Somehow he had forgotten to do something important. His vision strayed to the plaster on the floor…

o.O.o.O.o

Mikan stormed her way to class. Stupid Hyuga, stupid Hyuga! Why did he go and do that?! As she turned towards a corner, she felt a hand clammed over her mouth and the taste of leather. A strong force tugged at her arm, pulling her into the dark room…

**Ending note:** CLIFFHANGER! It's been a long time since I had one. Ahahah..


	12. Jack: Challenge

**"Author's" note:** My excuse for not updating the last whole month: Exams. It's kind of bad to inform you now. (feels guilty) I shall repent by working furiously on the next few chapters. Haha. Thanks for all your reviews and support for vampire fangs. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 11 – Challenge**

Hotaru walked down the corridor, dismissing the meek glances she was receiving from the curious bystanders. Her eyes strayed towards the rooms, scanning them for the presence of a particular brunette. Though she didn't want to admit it, that silly girl has always been on her worry list. That baka, always getting into trouble she could not handle. She had apparently been dismissed from her job yesterday and Hotaru clearly knows whose doing was this: Natsume Hyuga, her current lord and Ace of the Hyuga clan. Her mood darkened simply by just thinking of him. Why Mikan though? She frowned. There are so many other girls in the world.

Hotaru paused in her tracks, just in time to catch the blur of green rushing past her. She sighed, catching a glimpse of the auburn hair that swept past. Without a noise, she vanished in the eyes of the humans, but was merely chasing after the pair in the eyes of vampires, not that there were any (vampires) to witness.

o.O.o.O.o

She muttered darkly under her breath. How dare she?! How dare this worthless human become the gypsy of our ace! How dare the brunette seduce _her _Natsume-sama!! Sumire Shouda was indeed at the verge of explosion, but she must keep calm. She must not ruin the reputation of Natsume-sama as the **would-be wife** (not that it will come true) of the Ace. She must endure this treacherous predicament. "Elegance and beauty," she recited repetitively in her head, that was how the previous Ace was and what she must be now even though the burden in her hands was a wretched item. She was immensely relief as she reached the bend at the corner – the deserted classroom, rumored to be haunted by a blood-sucking ghost. Quickly she shoved her burden into the room, shutting the door behind her. She heaved a sign of relief. Mission one – getting the stupid burden out of people's sight is complete. Now for the second mission, she glared at the brunette, now in the hands of… Koko. A vein protruded out of her forehead. Of all hands…why…was she in the hands of Koko!

"Sumire, come on, you can't just shove Mikan-chan in without telling the poor soul why,"

"I can and I will. That silly twit is going to ruin the reputation of Natsume-sama, flaunting that mark around."

Koko sighed, tilting the brunette's head slightly to get a closer look. Indeed the mark is not covered. He cocked a brow. Something isn't right about the mark, but he just couldn't place where. Oh well, it doesn't matter. In one fluid motion, Koko retrieved the bandage concealed in the drawer. All that was heard was the light rattle as the drawer hit its frame.

"You are going to spoil the drawer if you continue doing this,"

Kitsume flopped down on the couch next to Kokoromi. With a quick flick, the bandage was now held in his hand.

"So Sumire, you brought her here…"

"To shut her mouth and ascertain our authority,"

"But didn't lord Hyuga tell us not to harm her?"

"He did, but he didn't say we couldn't deal with her and besides, she needs punishment for sticking her nose into our affairs."

Surmire retorted, glaring at Kitsume as he attempted to wrap the bandage around the brunette's neck.

"O for pit's sake, she's not an invalid, give it to her, Kitsume," a fairly agitated Permy growled, snatching the bandage away from his hands. She then proceeded to dump the roll on the brunette's lap.

"Cover up that mark. You have no right to destroy Natsume-sama's ace reputation, you lowly slave."

"Huh?" was the initial reply of a rather puzzled brunette as she allowed the words to sink into her brain. Who was a slave of whom? What's an ace? What mark? Her hand reached out to touch her "tattoo", feeling another sense of de ja vu. Oh…it's not covered. He had taken it off and he…kissed her. Fiery roses presented themselves in the cheeks of the brunette as she recalled the stolen kiss... His touch still tingled at her jaw. The feeling of his soft, luscious lips against hers lingered in her mind. It had actually felt good, but…_"So this is how kiss feel like." _A vein popped out, as the brunette felt a surge of anger. His words rang annoyingly in her head. Well that…stupid perverted, ecchi, arrogant, depressing, incomprehensible, idiotic jerk!_ What did he know about a girl's first kiss?_ Mikan grabbed the bandage and began to wind it around her neck, ignorant of the curious stares she was getting.

"Hey, will anyone tell me what is going on?" the brunette glared at the three figures, demanding an answer. Her voice echoed in the room, too loud to ignore.

"Oh and thank you, permy…" she chirped in, earning the sweatdrops of the three figures. Permy twitched a brow. What has the girl been doing? Doesn't she realize that she is in a dangerous situation with three vampires? Doesn't she even know? Yet she goes off into her own world! This girl is so dense! How worrying! Wait…why was she worrying about her? She is a rival. Argh! Have to be stricter with her.

"Anyway, Permy, I don't know what you are talking about. What has this mark got to do with him anyway?"

Yes! Opportunity given! Sumire swiftly grabbed a fistful of the brunette's hair, but only managed to tug just enough to cause pain for Kitsume's hand held hers. Koko glared warningly at her.

"Fine," Sumire muttered, releasing her hold. "But you," she pointed at the brunette, "Shall address him as Natsume-sama!"

Mikan winced, her hands messaging her sore scalp.

"Okay, Permy. Why is he so important anyway?" Mikan pouted, oblivious to the slight pinkish hue on the boys' cheeks.

"Natsume-sama," Sumire enforced once more.

"Nat-su-me-saaa-maaa," Mikan added reluctantly as Permy sent her a death glare

"Natsume-sama is our Ace, the highest ranking position in our society and every girl's dream guy. You better remember that mortal. He is the sun that shines in the…_drabbles on_"

"What society… Mortal…." Mikan whispered, realizing the meaning of the words,

"Permy…you are a vampire!"

"Listen to people when they talk!"

A bump appeared on the brunette's head as a fist slammed down. Sumire sweat dropped, she felt her hatred for the brunette ebbing away. Well it took her so long to get it. It's kind of hilarious though she absolutely had no liking towards the girl. But at that moment, the brunette doesn't seem that bad.

"Since you know of vampires, this makes my job easier," Sumire changed her tone unconsciously to a friendlier one. Her hands crossed before her chest.

"Mikan Sakura, I, Sumire, rank S7 of the Shouda clan challenge your position as the Ace's gypsy,"

"Sumire!" protests came from the boys and the brunette's reply to that challenge is:

"S7? Ace? Gypsy? WHAT?"

"What do you mean what?" Sumire cried, outraged by her reply. Is the brunette faking ignorance?!

"It's a ranking system in the vampire society, Mikan. Starting from the lowest, W2, R3, U4, V5, X6, S7, E8, N9, T10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace the highest. Gypsies are people whom vampire sucked blood from or partners, which mean you, are one of them. Other than that, you don't need to know anything else unnecessary."

A monotone voice came from behind. The speaker turned towards Sumire, reciting like a machine.

"S7 Sumire from the Shouda clan, brought up to be the gypsy of the current Ace. Alice: Dog, cat Predisposition. Born in May 31st, Gemini with half-blood parents. Want me to elaborate more?"

Sumire turned a shade of grey, facing the speaker.

"T10 Hotaru Imai. How long have you been here? If you have come to stop me, it's useless, cause I…"

Hotaru shrugged.

"I have been here long enough, but have not come to stop you, S7. I had expected it will be as such. There is no surprise that anyone would like to claim the position of the Ace's gypsy after that stubborn mule had taken one. Besides, you have to make her agree first and we have to be the witness to the agreement, don't I?" Hotaru pointed out. She settled comfortably on top of the desk.

"Hotaru…you knew about vampires?"

Hotaru glanced at the brunette.

"Of course she knows, she is a omph!" Sumire was cut off by a blast from the baka gun. A venomous glare headed Permy's way.

"Hotaru?"

"Yes I know,"

Mikan attempted to reach for Hotaru, but was grabbed on the collar by Sumire.

"Oi, baka, are you going to agree to my challenge?"

"But I have no reason to. Hotaru…"

Mikan flailed her hands towards Hotaru.

"Let go Permy!"

"Agree to my conditions first!"

"NO!!I want Hotaru!!"

"Hurry up and agree!"

Hotaru sighed for the second time. She didn't need Mikan to know yet after keeping it from her for so many years. The two boys stared amusingly at the scene.

"How long do you intend to hide, principal?" Hotaru murmured, watching as the pair bicker.

"Ahh….as expected of Hotaru-chan," The principal said in his usual drawl, appearing beside the inventor. His pale grey eyes glinted in amusement.

"I didn't know that Hyuga san would have such a kawaii gypsy. It makes me want to steal her away from him. "

Hotaru narrowed her eyes on him, but kept her lips pressed firm. The principal sat beside the inventor, becoming the next spectator of this event.

"You would not object to this fight ne, Natsume-sama?"

Natsume strolled in wordlessly. In his hand was the dirtied plaster.

"Hn…,"

"You want to see her alice, no?"

Natsume glared at the principal, but kept his peace. He did wanted to know polka-dot's Alice and besides who couldn't do with a bit of comedy. All watched as the two girls, a vampire and a mortal get tangled up in the weirdest position.

"Agree to this challenge, Baka!"

"Why should I?"

"I want Natsume-sama!!"

"Then have him! I don't care!"

"Really?"

"Yes," Mikan panted, pushing the vampire away, "You can have him," The temperature soared a few degrees higher, much to the discomfort of those in the room except the ignorant brunette.

"So…you agree to the challenge?"

"Who said I did?"

The temperature cooled slightly.

"But you said I could have him!"

"Yes,"

Once again the room became stuffy and hot.

"Then I have my challenge! Yes!" Sumire paraded around the brunette.

"But…"

A cough interrupted any more discussion.

"Sumire-chan, three days from now in the night at the school courtyard, I will ensure none will enter. The fight will be there. Is it okay?"

The principal concluded eager to get this done before they were all fried by Natsume. Sumire nodded; elated by the fact she would become the gypsy of Natsume in three days. Her purpose of living would be fulfilled in just three days from now. She could imagine the glory, just standing beside Natsume Hyuga as his gypsy.

"As for what type of fight it will be, I would come up with it, but I advise that you leave now," The principal warned.

Sumire blinked, noticing the figure beside the principal, Natsume Hyuga….with a rather ferocious look on his face. Chilled despite the heat, Sumire obediently left the room in a snap of a finger.

"Principal…" a menacing snarl came from behind him.

The principal smiled weakly, making his way towards the brunette – his safety line.

"I believe this is the first time we met, Mikan-chan. It is an absolute pleasure,"

Taking her hand into his, he lowered his lips, only to find that the brunette had withdrawn her hand.

Mikan was charmed by his actions. Unfortunately, she had recalled once more the incident that happened mere minutes ago (_her first kiss_), which explained her now dark and stormy mood. Her gaze fixed upon the guy before her.

"I don't know you,"

"I'm Zen. Zenachy Hyo. Yoroshiku and if you haven't notice, the room temperature is rather high,''

Zen expertly change the topic, watching as Mikan's mouth shaped into an 'O', but her face disbelieving.

"But there isn't much change in the temperature…" She murmured, intending not for any to hear. To her, there certainly was nothing wrong with the room. Still the sides of her mouth perked up into a broad grin. All feelings of annoyance had dissipated.

"Yoroshi…'

The brunette felt an arm around her, dragging her aside. The culprit was a rather pissed Natsume. At the side of her eyes, she saw a flicker of flame appeared on Zen's shirt. He gave an ominous glare that states "I will personally kill you later", before shooting a few at his audiences. Without giving the brunette a chance to respond, Natsume lugged the brunette off. What had the brunette got herself into now?

As the couple left, Hotaru suddenly let out a snicker. So that was the reason why Natsume had kept her. An impish smile graced the features of her face as she left the puzzled principal.

**Ending note:** Haha. I spent a lot of time on this chapter. Hope you liked it.


	13. Queen: Photographs

"Author's" note: Just as promised to whomever out there who even bother to read my profile, here is the vamp story

"**Author's" note:** I'm not following my own updates. Sheesh. Bad Ashe. Somehow I never update when it comes to the holidays. Weird. Here comes chapter 12! Hope you like it. Thanks for your reviews, favourites, story alerts and support for Vampire Fangs.  Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 12 – Photographs**

I'll do anything

Even if it means damnation for eternity.

Just don't tell me that

You never loved me.

o.O.o.O.o

_Flashback_

_"Ni-san…I'm scared…"_

_Natsume clutched the fingers of his sister. Uncertainty clouded his mind as he walked down the aisle. All around them were soft-spoken whispers, invisible fingers pointing accusingly at them. But he was sure of one thing: Never to let his sister's hand go. He was afraid that she would slip away from him, just like what their mother had done. Yes, he would never let go of it. _

_"Be still, Aoi. They will never harm you for I am here."_

_He shoved her behind of him, hiding her from the views of other. He could faintly feel the tremor that course through her small frame as she leaned close to him. Her hands desperately clung on to his coat._

_"I will protect you," He whispered. His voice reaching only the one he wished for to hear. She did and she smiled, the very first time ever since their mother died - a radiant, beautiful smile._

"Ni-san, when are you coming back? Aoi is lonely without you…" she mumbled to herself as she straightened one of the large frames. It was her favourite, specially enlarged to occupy the entire wall. She smiled; fondly touching the photograph in it. It was a picture of herself clinging onto her brother when they were small. The only one Natsume would ever have agreed to take. Trailing her fingers to the side of the frame, she glanced through all the photos she had secretly snapped. They littered in the limited spaces left, squeezing into one enormous cluster and spilling over to the next wall. Some were pictures of flora and fauna, others were of large prestige places in the world, but the majority of the pictures were of her brother. She frowned as she noticed that not once had her brother look in the way of the camera. It was always his side view. But she was contented. They had still captured him onto paper. Even though they are so close to each other, why was it that she always felt a large wall barricading her from him? Was it because she was his sister? She leaned her cheeks towards one of the shots she loved. Her fingers stroked the figure affectionately. This was one of the reasons why she had never allowed her brother to enter the room.

A soft click and the chime of keys alerted her to the door. Ni-san was back. She grinned, flinging her door opened. Hurriedly, she locked her door. Her feet bounce in anticipation at each step she took down the stairs. She however failed to notice the extra footsteps heading towards the doorway.

" Tadaima,"

"Okaerinasai!" she chirped, ready to pounce on her prey, but stopped short as she saw their visitor.

"Mikan-chan!"

"Konbawa,"

The brunette smiled though her expression was pained. Aoi narrowed her eyes to their hands. It was plain to see that Natsume was gripping Mikan a little too tightly, but he was still holding her. An unrecognizable feeling bubbled inside her. Nasty thoughts strewed in her head. Why are they holding hands? Why, when she could not even hold hands with him without awkwardness. She had a sudden urge to break off the brunette's arm. At that thought, she suddenly felt shamefully ugly, shallow and cold-hearted. Wasn't Mikan her friend, didn't she love Mikan? Isn't this what they call "jealousy"?

"Aoi?"

Aoi broke off from her thoughts. A warm cheery smile replaced her twisted expression.

"We'll be going to my room,"

"Hai," She replied meekly, watching as her brother dragged the brunette past her. She waited until she heard the soft bang of the door before sliding against the wall. Sighing, she slumped onto the floor. Her heart and mind confused. Ni-san, do you not love me anymore?

o.O.o.O.o

"Natsume, release me. You're hurting me,"

She twisted her wrist, only to find it in immerse pain.

"Natsume, why are you so pissed off? What is your problem?"

"You agreed to it,"

"No, I didn't!"

"You didn't say anything,"

"I wanted to!"

"Oh, you need further punishment, do you?"

"Eh?! NO!" Mikan groaned. To wear such a ridiculous maid uniform as already a torture. She tugged self-consciously on the skirt which was way too short; the frills jutting out did not help either. The worse was the frilly head band on her head, completely the taste of a pervert.

"Clean my room,"

"Then get out!"

"Why? It's my room,"

"Fine! But don't stare at me"

"Hn…"

"You're still staring,"

The brunette drew the curtains apart, tying them loosely to the side. This was the last task she had to do. She was amazed to see a properly maintained garden. Bushes were nicely trimmed into shapes, pruned to perfection. Roses twined around the metal poles, their buds yet to bloom. Other flowers gave the garden a dash of colours, outstanding in their own ways. She giggled as she spot one that look like a hawalon. Fingering the sides of the window planes, she played with the lock. Her mind drifted off to her own world. She could not help but feel worried. Aoi…she had such a sorrowful expression back then.

"Ne, Natsume,"

There was no response.

"Natsume?"

Once again, the prince was silent.

Annoyed, the brunette turned around, only to be granted the rare sight of Natsume Hyuga sleeping. This time, he seemed completely at ease. Blissful, one might describe it. A small smile hovered on the brunette's lips. If he did not open his mouth and do away with his perverted antics, Mikan might actually think that he is beautiful on the outside, not that he already is. Her cheeks flushed red at her thoughts. She inched closer, settling herself on the bed. Her gaze switched from the window and Natsume. He is cute. She upgraded him from beautiful to cute. She leaned forward, cursing as the bed sank under her weight.

"Are you tempting me to drink your blood, youjo?"

Mikan jerked back, startled. He's awake.

"Nnnooo…"She stuttered in reply.

"Well, too late. Your scent is intoxicating." The vampire pulled the brunette towards him. His lips brushing pass her ear, his voice hushed and somber "I want you."

The blush intensified. Natsume smirked. His slender fingers worked towards her neck, brushing strands of brown back to reveal his mark. He licked the wound as if tasting it. His eyes focused on the place where he had marked her. It was fading. In three days, it would probably disappear and he would have to release her.

"Matte, Natsume!" She shoved the guy back. Her irritation was returning upon seeing that arrogant smirk on the guy whom she had deemed cute a few moments ago. He had been toying with her. She frowned. She didn't like being played with, but somehow she felt that his thirst for blood was real.

"Ne, Natsume, do you want my blood?"

Chocolate eyes held his crimson eyes. The brunette raised a finger to his lips. She watched as he tensed. Maneuvering the finger, she placed it under his canine. Just a small force was needed to prick her finger and sent blood oozing out. Before she could act, he pulled her hand away. His eyes grew distant as he widened the distance between them in a moment.

"You don't know what you are messing with, youjo. And I don't suggest you try."

"Natsume…"

"Your job here is done, leave,"

"Natsume?"

Go," he snarled, turning his back on her, but the brunette stayed put, hesitating with a puzzled look.

"Go," he repeated, baring his teeth at her. This time, Mikan took the warning and made her way to the door. As she allowed the door to creak open, she uttered softly, knowing full well that Natsume would be able to hear.

"Ne, Natsume, we are friends right?"

As the door closed behind her, she believed she heard Natsume's response - an "hn…".

Just this little response had made her day. Her lips broke out in a smile.

o.O.o.O.o

"A test...huh?"

The lady leaned back towards her chair. She lifted her fingers to examine her manicure. Her eyes suddenly focused on a small chip in the nail of her index finger. With one vicious kick, she sent her servant sprawling several feet away. She watched in contentment as the servant scrambled to her feet. Her shivering figure limped towards the door.

"Insolent wretch," she hissed, "Only the strong will survive in this vampire society."

"Very well, let's see how you fare, Mikan Sakura. Perhaps you will be a more valuable assert than your useless mother."

Her fingers flipped opened a lock to reveal a photograph.

"Or a tool to destroy him"

**Ending note:** If you haven't notice, Aoi's likes her brother. Wait…like me rephrase it. She loves him literally. Let's see how their relationships develop and what happens when the mark on Mikan officially vanish.


	14. King: The Battle

"**Author's" note:** You're not going to like reading what I have to say next. I decided that the next chapter will not come along very soon because I need to delay it. With all the events revolving around me, I will be really busy. So updates will be rare. Still, do continue to support Vampire Fangs. The second segment is going to be up next after this. What do I mean? Wait and see. Patience is a virtue. Haha. Thanks for the reviews and do leave your comments!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 13 – The battle**

_My body is asleep, but my conscience is awake. I stand in an abyss of darkness once more. How long will this go on? The nights that this dream continues to haunt and will haunt? The pain intensified as tears spilled over, trickling down the sides of my face. My fingers brushed the mark gently. It gives me a little hope to realise it was still there, but faint. The lids of my eyes steadily opened. There was something there, a bulky item covered with a silk cloth, black as night. The material shimmered before me, tempting me to reveal the secrets beneath it. What holds behind this cloth? I leaned forward. My hand gripped the soft material firmly, part of me fearful that it would disappear. With a resolved tug, I pulled on the cloth to reveal…_

Azumi Yuka woke up startled. Her hands groped frantically for the switch of the lamp as she hosted herself into a sitting position. Her eyes were taking a long while to adjust to the darkness of the room. Finally, with a soft click, a dim light illuminated the small room. She grunted, noting the apparent amount of sweat that wet her bed.

"Mikan…" she murmured to herself. Her vision strayed to the doorway, meeting the gaze of her subordinate.

"Shiki, where is she?"

She ran her fingers through disheveled hazel hair, attempting to smoothen out the curls that stuck out without much success. A knot tangled in her stomach as she waited patiently for her subordinate's answer.

"Gakuen Alice, my lady," Shiki murmured.

Yuka froze. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She lifted her blanket to her face, her forehead touching the blanket and her knees. Her head throbbed in anxiety for her daughter.

"Who sent her there?"

Shiki gave no reply, evading the death glares his mistress was giving him. A sigh escaped from Yuka's lips as she glanced away. She could somehow guess the person who had sent her daughter there.

"That old geezer," She muttered spitefully under her breath. Perhaps it was time to face her daughter. She knew she would be glad to see her, but what about her? Broodingly, she got herself out of bed, only to find herself falling flat down on the carpeted floor with a bemused Shiki struggling to stifle his laughter. She groaned, eyeing the blanket and sending Shiki one last deadly warning. With a "poof" and the blurring of her figure, Yuka was gone. Shiki smiled.

"Breakfast will be ready in a moment,"

A grunt from the toilets answered his question. Satisfied, he turned to leave, but heard his name and paused.

"Shiki, we must find her….Mikan,"

His mistress's tone softened upon the last word. In Yuka's mind, she desperately pleaded that nothing would happen to her daughter.

"Yes, my lady," Shiki replied in his usual tone, giving the slightest nod before leaving his lady in peace.

o.O.o.O.o

"Permy…are you sure this is the right place," Mikan gulped. She glanced at her surroundings suspiciously.

"Well, if you are scared, you can do a forfeit,"

Mikan shuddered, but did not reply. After all, did she have a choice? If she won this competition, the school would guarantee her not only a year's supply of stationary, food and education, but also cash, by courtesy of the principal. Such an offer is too hard to resist for someone so dirt poor as Mikan even if it meant having to be near a moody, perverted vampire. For money, anything is possible, but Mikan is starting to regret it slightly. The "battlefield" as decided would be the Northern Forest, located behind the quarters. The timings were all stated in an invitation that went mysteriously missing just after she read it.

She eyed the forest nervously, somewhere deep within the jungle of trees came the shrill eerie calls of the imaginary creatures. Once again, a chill ran down her spine. She wasn't exactly a fan of ghost stories. She had heard tons of stories about the forest, but none of them were pleasing to the ears so far.

"Welcome!" the principal grinned. His arms extending as a warm invitation, but Mikan felt colder at the thought of the battle. She did a polite courtesy and addressed the principal, who nodded in acknowledgement. She then glanced at her audience-to-be.

There was the blonde who stood awkwardly in a corner with a rabbit in hand. Mikan identified him as the one who always followed Natsume. What was his name again?

"Ruka-sama!" Oh yes, Nogi-san. Permy flung herself onto the vampire, who was more than eager to dodge to his side, leaving Permy in dirt and Hotaru clicking on her camera furiously. Hotaru! Yes! For once, Hotaru was here…with a camera though, but the main thing was the ice queen had bothered to come.

"Hotaru!!"

A blast sent another baka into the ground. Mikan grinned foolishly as she hosted herself up. A hand steadied her as she stood on her two feet.

"Arigatou, Yuu!"

Yuu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, earning slaps and teases from Kitsume and Kokoromi, whereas Mochiage derived his amusement by watching his paper airplane flip somersaults.

The principal eagerly clapped his hands to catch the attention of all.

"Now that everyone's here, let's start,"

"But Natsume isn't!" Mikan observed, curiously scanning the group in case he was hiding behind any of them.

"Ahh…very good Mikan, cause your job would be to find him…there," the principal pointed towards the outline of the dense forest. His grin widened.

"There would be no rules, destruction is allowed, just find the guy and bring him back here," the principal continued in his usual drawl.

So this was it. Mikan groaned. That's why they have used a forest. To find a single person in such a huge densely populated (with trees) area would take hours! And the worse person to play hide and seek with was Natsume Hyuga who could happily vanished to the depths of hell and back. She glanced over to her opponent. Permy was anything but nervous. In fact, she was bursting with confidence and competitive spirit.

"What a simple challenge!" was the cue to her emotions. Permy had apparently said her thoughts out.

A sigh escaped through the lips of our brunette. She could literally see the money flying away. With one imaginary hand, she caught the notes and stuffed them back to her pockets. After all, she still had one trick up her sleeves.

"Oh right before I forget, Kokoromi would be your judge," the principal pushed the stuttering vampire forward. Koko rolled his eyes at the principal as he read his thoughts, which were, "It's too much of a hassle to judge,"

"Without further a do, let's start, shall we?" the principal gestured the two contestant to the edge of the forest.

"On your marks…get set…GO!"

Before Mikan could register what happened, she felt herself pinned to the ground.

"Move an inch and I will break this hand of yours,"

Sumire twisted the arm slightly, forcing a cry from the brunette.

"Wait, weren't we supposed to find Natsume…sama?"

Mikan winced as she felt the pull once more.

"Well, yes, but if I eliminate the opponent first, I could take my own sweet time to find him, isn't that right Koko?"

She turned towards Koko, expecting an answer.

But the judge made no sound except desperate attempts to warn her. Mikan gave a smirk. She could tell Permy was serious, but it was due to this that she had prepared a little something. The only sad thing apparently was that she had to spend a sum of money and use it so early in the competition.

Sumire frowned. There was this particular disturbing aroma in the air. What was it? She turned, her cat ears popping up instantly. She knew this smell. Her whiskers straightened in anticipation. This sweet alluring smell, she would recognize even from the depths of hell. Fish! Salmon! She sighted her target thrown in the air. Instantly, she was off the brunette, snapping her jaws shut at the piece of fish.

The brunette grinned triumphantly, her fingers clasping more of the fish. This was her ultimate weapon. Cats like fish, so Sumire rightfully should like them. She had asked Nonoko and Anna about this and took the gamble. Thankfully, they were right. She smiled an impish grin. Those fishies contained a dozen doze of sleeping pills at least.

Her hands stretched backwards in a powerful position. Gathering her strength, she swung the fish into the forest. Bad choice. Weren't they supposed to retrieve Natsume there? She stoned as the agile Permy raced into the forest. Opps. It took a while for her brain to start churning again and once it was started she could be seen weaving her way into the forest, a completely opposite direction from Permy. The spectators sweat dropped. Well, that was the end of one entertaining scene…

o.O.o.O.o

He lifted and flung the limp figure, watching as it smashed into the scaly bark of each tree. In a flash, he was right at the spot where the weak vampire staggered out of the debris. His hand crushed the ribcage of his victim ruthlessly, piercing through the body and into the wooden trunk. His crimson eyes were cold and devoid of any emotion as he clutched the skull of the offender. Blood tricked down the forehead of his victim as the assaulter tightened his grip. Ruby orbs pierced and reached into the mind of its victim.

"Speak, why are you hunting her?"

The vampire gave a crooked smile, but did not answer. What happened next happened too suddenly that it gave Natsume only a split second to realize the situation. He cursed and spat spitefully as he watched the curse take its full effect. Crimson orbs reflected the flames that devoured its victim in an instant. It was an eerie blue, simmering down as it gave a final lick.

"A royal," he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. This complicates things and to think that he was about to perform the same curse on the poor man. Someone had beaten him to it and it displeases Natsume to no end. Oh well, it did not matter for there were still two more around the block. It was only a matter of time before he extracts the information out of them that is if they take up the bait. He shoved a fern aside as he scanned his surroundings. Tall, thick trunks obscured his vision of the path. He took a whiff. Permy had not found him yet, which he is grateful as before then, he had to get this settled. With a powerful kickoff, he sprinted through the forest to find his next prey and a certain brunette.

o.O.o.O.o

Yuka cringed at the horrid scent that wafted past her nose. One she would recognize even in the midst of a rubbish chute. A knot twisted within her stomach, crunching as the moonlight cast a faint halo over the figure.

"Pink panther, or should I say Koizumi." She addressed the arrival. Her tone was one that was somber with a tinge of unexplainable guilt.

The lady smiled, but beneath those jade eyes hid the hatred she had harbored for years, even centuries. Luna sauntered towards the brunette, stopping an arm's length away. She watched triumphantly as the brunette tensed, eyeing her with some sense of trepidation and grief. Yes, this was how she was supposed to react.

"Your nose is still as sharp as ever, Azumi,"

Luna commented, tossing her head conceitedly. One slender finger tapped the bridge of her delicate nose playfully. Her unoccupied hand held a glass filled with dark liquid in which she swirled, sending tremors to the sides of the concave surface.

"Isn't it a beautiful bloody night, Yuka?" She exclaimed. Her soprano voice echoed through the forest. She gave a sadistic grin, liking the effect as she brought the glass to her lips, draining the liquid in one go. Her face gazed at the night sky with what seemed to be appreciation.

Yuka followed her gaze. It was a full grown moon. It glowed morbidly, illuminating the darkness around it. Clouds shrouded the light source, giving it a ghastly appearance - an unmistakable impending sign of trouble.

Her hazel orbs returned to study the enemy with intelligence.

"What are you up to, Koizumi?"

Luna narrowed her eyes. A crack and the shattering of the goblet showered the grass with droplets of liquid and glass shards.

"What am I up to? What am I up to?" She repeatedly mimicked the brunette's phrase, "I should be asking what you are up to, Azumi." She scoffed mockingly. Her clutched hand released the fine glass powder that slid from her palm.

"You have taken everything from me. Now, it's a little petty thing called revenge. Do look forward to it. I will, of course be a good sport and remind you over and over again of your sin, the incident that had happened a mere decade, not very long ago. We shall see how much I can take away from you, shall we? And of course, I'll make sure your eyes are watching every scene of their sufferings!" she screeched. Anger burst frostily from her, but the lady composed herself. Her pale eyes returned to gaze at the moon.

"Not one will be spared, all of you pathetic royal bloods," she lowered her voice and raised her fingers, making a motion that looked as if she was manipulating a puppet.

"You are mad, Koizumi,"

She laughed. Her laughter was wild and insane.

"You are funny, Azumi and who do you think have made me this way?"

Yuka did not answer. Her fingers gasped the handle of her knife, wrenching it away from its shield in one fluid motion.

"You know you cannot kill me, Yuka." Luna cocked her head to her side. Her eyes fixed on the brunette.

"You killed Ryona,"

"Perhaps, I did…she is stirring in her grave, I guess," the voice muttered sorrowfully, "Well then, we will meet again, dear Yuka,"

A dark veil came over the earth as the moon disappeared behind it.

"No, you don't," Yuka dashed forward at the last glimpse of Koizumi. When the moon returned, Yuka scowled to discover that the panther was gone. Her hand clasped tightly onto the material she had grabbed. The wretch had escaped and they don't call her pink panther for no reason. Uttering a curse, Yuka lit a flame and watch as the material burn. She clutched one of her stones, extracting its power.

"Shiki," she called.

"Yes, my lady," the ever stoic man replied.

"Find Ryona's child."

"Yes, my lady," was his last confirmation before she tossed the used rock and watched it crumble. Her hands caressed her forehead. Her priority now is to get to Mikan…fast.

o.O.o.O.o

The Northern forest wasn't actually as bad as it seems. In fact it appeared to be enchanted. Great trunks decked with leaves of distinctive florid shape glinted here and there under the intense gaze of the moon that shone through the canopy. Bowls of trees were heavily furred with moss. The ground was damp and springy, while the air was rich and warm. Who would have thought that this place contains…ghost. At that thought, Mikan squirmed. Her legs continued to trudge through the forest. She had no idea where she was going. Her instincts were the one that lead her on and on in this endless, not to mention meaningless trail.

At a queer noise, Mikan raised her exhausted head. She had heard something not quite right, a disturbing buzzing sound. A ghost? She stared into the calm, deserted forest, alert and frightened. Her back was as stiff as a poker.

It couldn't be she assured herself. After all, ghosts don't exist, do they?

She instantly wished she could take back her words as strong gusts of wind whisked past her, entangling her hair before her face. Her hands immediately went to her skirt. She slipped, her legs buckling under her. A blur of black and white flew over her. Twigs broke under her weight, but it wasn't the noise that distressed her, but a large crack from behind. She felt liquid dripping down her arm. It was blood.

Reaching out to touch it, Mikan felt a long but shallow cut across her arm. She winced. What happened? She couldn't comprehend, but her mind was screaming for her to do the one thing she knew – RUN. So she did. Her legs found the strength to support herself, dodging the blur of black and white once more as she ran for what her life was worth.

She spied it from the side of her eyes – a vampire and it was certainly not Permy or any vampire she knew. 'Faster, much faster', she willed herself to run. Her legs carried her well as she dashed past the lush greenery. No amount of effort could stop the panic from rising in her chest. Her eyes refocused on the killer. He was leaping from tree to tree doing mock tricks like a predator would to its prey for pure entertainment. His teasing performance pressurized the brunette, who felt no doubt inferior to the vampire.

Her feet skidded to a stop. Hazel eyes darted frantically for other alternatives, but there were none. She was trapped. A large crevice was before her and it was certainly not in her abilities to jump and commit suicide. A crash and a cry forced the brunette to twist her body around. She found herself staring directly at crimson orbs and boy, wasn't she glad to see him for once!

Without warning, she felt herself lifted and thrown a few feet into the air, only to be swung over Natsume's shoulders like a sack. They were travelling in high speeds to god knows where. So much for the delight she was feeling a moment ago.

"Natsume…where…you…taking…me?" she managed with much difficulty, burying her head in fabric to avoid air resistance. Her surroundings blurred, swirling around her. Something was building up in her stomach and it was definitely nowhere pleasant. Mikan resisted the urge to retch. She felt sick.

"Idiot gypsy, who would have known you would cause so much trouble," she could hear him mutter, but did not take much of it seriously.

She felt his tongue licking her wound up and her face warming as well. The uneasiness she had once felt was fading away, replaced by a stronger feeling. Somehow, whenever he does that, it aroused an indescribable thrill in her, so foreign that she was slightly afraid. Was she insane to love the feel of his tongue on her? No, she decided. This wasn't the time to think about this. A peep over his shoulders told her that the vampire was still at their tails. She tightened her hold on him.

Finally, Natsume jolted and stopped at a clearing. His hand rubbed circles onto her back, which was sweet but inappropriate for the moment. At the sound of smashing trees and another leap, Mikan found herself hanging on a branch. Natsume had gone back down to confront the vampire.

She groaned. Her head was still light and fuzzy from the ride. Noises and cries rang repeatedly within her head. She could not tell whether they were real or just her imagination. She caught glimpses of the battle, but could not make out who was winning. Slamming the shutters of her eyes shut, she blocked out all distractions. All she could do is hope that Natsume, being a self-conceited, arrogant jerk that he is, would win and her head would stop pounding like a drumbeat, threatening to split her into two.

When Mikan fully regained control her mind, the battle was already concluded. Natsume stood victorious. His hands clutched the neck of an unfamiliar face…

The vampire…she realised, gasping in horror. Blood drained from her face as she felt a fist clenched at the base of her stomach. An ominous crack caused the head of the vampire to swing loosely from its body. The nauseating memory of the badly disfigured beyond recognition, beyond repair face was one that will probably stay imprinted in her mind for the rest of eternity. She looked away, only to witness body parts strewn in the bloodied grass. Once again, she felt the urge to revolt. Who wouldn't at such a gory sight?

She trained her eyes once more on Natsume. He was staring into the vampire in some kind of ritual, the vampire whereas fruitlessly wiggled like a snake caught in the claws of an eagle. Natsume muttered something, which was inaudible to her. And without warning, he flung the vampire aside. A blue flame engulfed the corpse, reducing it to nothing along with its limbs in a short span of a few seconds.

The brunette uttered a soft prayer. It was always distasteful to witness the death of another. She wondered soberly whether the vampire had a family. Was anyone depending on him? Realisation dawned on her that Natsume had killed a man right before her. Was it right? She reopened her eyes to notice Natsume glaring at her, his eyes warning her to get off, but it was too late. A sharp object came into contact with her neck.

"Well met, Natsume-sama,"

Natsume scowled. He had overlooked the third attacker.

"You are the captain,"

The punk growled, unintentionally confirming Natsume's suspicion. He inched the knife closer in an attempt to threaten.

"It is unwise of you to forget my name, Natsume-sama."

"Who's the mastermind? Who commands you?" Natsume ignored the previous remark, pressing on for the person behind the scenes.

"I am my own, Natsume-sama," The punk lied, clearly annoyed by Natsume's response. His patience was waning out.

"Each time, you refuse to acknowledge me; I will sink this knife deeper into her neck until she is beheaded." He slid a thin line on the brunette's neck. Blood seeped out, trickling down her neck. Natsume narrowed his eyes with much annoyance. No one, NO ONE hurts his gypsy and get away with it.

"Youjo, touch him," He commanded.

She did. Her hands smacked against the punk's face in revenge. An unexpected result occurred. Bubbles began forming on his face as if her hands were toxic. The skin sagged, clearly melting away.

The punk pulled away, yelling in pain. His hands desperately trying to grab hold of the brunette. Bad choice. For the moment he was about to touch the brunette, fire seared up his arm. Terror swept through him as he sent a brief glare at the flame caster. With the knife, he dislocated his whole arm, watching as the limp arm burnt to crisps. But the assault did not end there. His hand released the weapon, too hot for touch. The metal had already melted due to the intense heat. Thus ends the sad life of the knife as it fell harmlessly with a clatter on the grass floor.

"A human gypsy! Pathetic human! HYUGA!" the brute howled in outrage as he fell off the branch and into the clearing right before…Natsume.

"Furgo,"

He raised his foot, ramming it onto the punk's head. The rage that bubbled within him was evident on his face – a rare sight for such display of emotions. He had no intentions of letting him live, this scumbag, who tainted the image of vampire. If not for his remaining hand that soften the impact, the punk would have had his head undoubtly crushed. Who would have thought Natsume Hyuga would be such a terror?

Natsume swung his leg away from the punks grasp. He eyed the falling brunette as she lost her balance. In one fluid motion, he caught her by the waist and set her onto her feet. He appeared in front of the punk in the next second. His hand held onto a flame, an orange hue unlike the previous flame, positioned to deal the last blow.

"Low life," Naqtsume spat, raising his hand to deliver the blow. What was very curious was that a blow indeed landed itself on the punk. The full blunt of the force had sent the vampire many meters into the soil, but the vampire was by no means finished. There was no flame at his palm. Natsume attempted to ignite the flame again but failed, he couldn't move literally due to a certain weight clinging onto his arm. He could not move. At all. Crimson eyes widened in amazement and shock to the cause of it.

"Mikan,"

"Spare him, Natsume,"

The brunette muttered as she collapsed into the arms of the vampire. A terrible lethargy spread from her arms through her body. She felt her strength drained from her at a frightening speed. Her vision was failing her. She didn't want another death; she didn't want him to stain his hands. His hands were meant to touch and not kill. She held his hands in hers, placing them on her cheeks. They held warmth, just like any hand would.

"You finally called my name," She whispered. Her lips etched into a beautiful, radiant smile, before she was truly unconscious.

He sighed, embracing the brunette in a lover's carry. Surely, this idiot is too forgiving and merciful. He frankly had sinned to bring such an innocent creature into the vampire world. He eyed the indent in the ground. The vampire was gone, but there was nothing to worry. After all, with that extent of damage, he couldn't possibly recover to the way he was before. His vision strayed to the position where the brunette had been. It was a distance away. How could she have made her way here? It was impossible for a mere human. There would be time to wonder, but healing comes first. Her blood must never flow. Settling down at the base of the tree, he leaned her against him. Her head rose to expose the ivory skin of her neck. He proceeded to do his job, taking no more than an extra sip for self-deserved award. He glanced at her throat with satisfactory. All that was left was a small scar, a nick. His fingers traced down to where his mark had used to be. So it had vanished. She was no longer his gypsy. The contract had been broken. After all, it was merely a bite during that vulnerable time, it was not as potent if he should he bite the brunette again. If he did, it would be the real deal.

"Baka youjo,"

His arms unconsciously embraced the brunette. A mixed of relief and anguish caught him by surprise. Had he gone soft? It had been a short while, but when had he grown attached? His lips twitched as he recalled their previous encounter. They were friends, huh. Perhaps it could remain that way.

He fingered her lips, rubbing his thumb over it. Somehow her sensuous lips appeared rather seductive to him. Those attractive lips that were more ready to smile than frown. He leaned forward, his sweet breath fanned across her face as he inched closer.

UNfortunately, an unfamiliar scent pervaded his surrounding and soiled the whole atmosphere. He backed away and sniffed the air warily to confirm it. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he detected the intruder. A fourth attacker? He leaned the brunette against the tree, standing in a defensive position. No. He could tell she meant no harm. Just as he had expected, the figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.

"Hyuga? Ryona's child,"

He flinched at his mother's name. His ember orbs taking in the woman's appearance.

"Yuka-san,"

He addressed the person with due respect and considerable amount of caution.

"You are in grave danger."

"Aren't I always?" Natsume quipped.

Yuka laughed, but somber up immediately. Her eyes directed to the sleeping figure behind her godchild.

"How much does she know?"

Natsume tensed, deliberately positioning himself in a way that would block the brunette from view.

"What is it to you, Azumi-san?"

"How much does she know?" Yuka repeated her question. Her voice chipped ice. She inched closer, but the lad was not deterred, standing ever-so-stubbornly in her path. A splitting image of Ryona flashed before her eyes. She sighed, realizing the change in her mood. There was no point in continuing for Hyugas are as obstinate as a mule when it comes to decisions like that. Trying a different approach, she softened her tone.

"She is my… friend's…daughter. I have…every right to know."

His eyes widened at the uncanny connections. It sounded suspicious, but Natsume was not one to probe further. That was an element of truth hidden away somewhere beneath the lies.

"So, how much does she know?"

"She's mine," A lie, but like her statement, there was some truth within it. Yuka was mildly surprised, but gave nothing away.

"May I see her?"

Natsume was tempted to object, but could see no good reason to oppose. He reluctantly drew back, close enough to react, but far enough for the brunette to have privacy.

Yuka stepped forth. This was her daughter. Her daughter she hadn't seen for years. The photographs had done no justice to her beauty. How she had grown. How tall was she now? Was she coping well? A thousand of questions swarmed her head. Tears of joy and motherly pride welled up in her eyes, but she will never let any of them fall in the face of a stranger.

"What trouble have you gotten yourself, Mikan?" she whispered, crouching over the sleeping form. Her hand, hidden from view, gripped a couple of Alice stones.

Before Natsume could realize what was happening, she activated them. Flames blazed in a circle around the brunette, scratching against the barrier formed.

"Sorry, my child,"

Yuka pressed a stone against Mikan's forehead. Lines streaked from the stone into Mikan. Her face contorted in visible pain.

"Damn you! What are you doing to her?"

The stone faded into a dull blue. Reclaiming the stone, she triggered another. This time, Mikan disappeared from view. Yuka turned to the enraged Natsume.

"I erased her memories and sent her somewhere safer," she stated emotionlessly, but it did not quell the anger of a certain raven hair lad. She released another stone. A gust of wind spread in waves, freezing the flames within seconds. She teleported. Her body appeared behind Natsume. Her feet nimbly treaded the grass, stopping a few feet away from the lad.

"You will leave this school,"

"No."

"Natsume, you cannot drag her into this,"

"No."

"Then you leave me no choice,"

Once more, the brunette vanished into the air. She appeared this time right in front of Natsume. Her slender fingers wrapped around his neck. Hazel orbs held crimson eyes captive in a staring contest of who could break into the other's mind.

His mind was like a steel wall, heavily guarded, just as expected from the son of Ryona, no more, no less. However, it was simple to break in, he had shielded well, but was no match for an experienced pure blood vampire. Her mind was a completely different type – mist. It was no wonder she had penetrated through him, her eyes having a hypnotizing effect on the lad.

"You're not going to waste it," Natsume squeezed the last of his voice from his lips.

The brunette did not answer. Her eyes glow an eerie brown.

"You will leave the school with all the other vampires, Natsume."

"Hn…" was the only submissive answer that came from Natsume as he stalked away. His eyes clouded in a trance.

o.O.o.O.o

The punk limped his way onto the streets. He was disfigured, deranged, barely alive, but living. Blood poured out of his body, staining the concrete floor as he dragged himself forward. His vision was getting blurry, but there was a woman before him - a familiar woman.

"Pink panther," he uttered, his mouth splattering blood all over the floor.

"Yuoe…falied," he attempted to decipher the words she was saying. He could not hear. He glanced once more at the woman. Her eyes were cold. Those emerald eyes penetrated him. Her mouth formed a word he understood very well – "die". This was an absolute command he must obey, the command of a royal vampire. He gathered up a smile, the last action he could muster before his body was set aflame. It was after all better to die happy. The flames consumed him, eventually dieing off, leaving nothing of Furgo, nothing of his existence. He was merely a creature whom had lived and died worthlessly.

Luna watched emotionlessly, detached from the scene. It was just as well. She could get another more reliable partner. The more important thing gained from this little excursion was: she had found her final two preys at last. Her mouth curled maliciously. Years of hunting had paid off. Yuka had been clever and meticulous in hiding it, but her carelessness had caused her. The truth was out – Mikan Sakura is indeed her daughter. Laughter rang through the desolate corridor.

**Ending note:** A super long chapter for you since you have been so patiently waiting for it. Kudos. Hee. Hope you like it! LEAVE REVIEWS!

p.s Please note Author's notes.


	15. Ace: Namae

"**Author's" note:** Chapter 14 is up! I took a really long time figuring a few questions regarding the plot. It is still unclear, but somewhere there. An apology for being so late: SORRY!! My excuse being: EXAMS. They are really never ending. :( Pouts unhappily.

Thanks to all who have reviewed and love this story! Happy reading!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice and it's a fact.

**Chapter 14 – Namae**

_What's in a name? _

_That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet__  
_

_**Romeo and Juliet -**__** Scene 2.2**_

_**William Shakespeare**_

The door was left ajar as a sleek figure slid her way through.

"And so how was your little trip, my dear?"

The figure paused. Her mouth curled into a malicious grin.

"Purrrfect"

"Have you tested them enough, Pink panther?"

Luna flashed her canines smugly as she eyed the woman sitting comfortably on her armchair.

"Of course, although I must say Mikan Sakura would be of no use to you. She poses no threat nor is she capable enough to be a pawn by the looks of it." Luna faked a shrug, appearing as nonchalant as possible.

"Is that so? But you would still want her as your prey, won't you? For your revenge."

Luna tensed slightly, but forced herself to relax.

"For my revenge?" she feint ignorance.

"Mikan Sakura is the daughter of Yuka Azumi, isn't she? Which also mean that there is a high chance she would posses that Alice. She cannot be taken lightly."

"You knew…" Luna sulked, chewing on her lower lip.

"Of course, how could I not." the woman smiled slyly, "therefore, I would advice to hold back on your killing spree until the vampires meeting. We would like to be in top shape no? Oh and shall I capture your prey for you?"

Her only reply was a slam of the door by a very moody pink panther. The woman shrugged. She snapped her fingers. At that instant, a vampire stood before her.

"Get Mikan Sakura." was her only command as the vampire sprinted away.

o.O.o.O.o

_She fingered the nape of her neck. It was not there. The mark was not there. She panicked slightly. Her eyes roved around in a frantic search for familiarity. She was still within the abyss, but there was something about this dream, something very different. She paced forward in distress. Chocolate-brown eyes stared unseeingly at an object. With a tug, the dark fabric slid off the object. _

_Her hand loosed in surprise, while the silk cloth vanished into the darkness. A girl with angelic features so frighteningly identical to her floated in the luminous fluid contained within a large tube. Her slender frame was clad in white robes, tied down by a single red cloth which drifted up and down in the liquid. The only difference between them was their eyes. Hers were closed in deep slumber unlike the real breathing person which were hazel and widened in awe. _

_She backed off in alarm. Was that her? The mere thought of it stricken her. Her fingers boldly reached for the glass, but were restrained by a mysterious force. An invisible hand wrapped around hers. _

_"Yuka erased your memories, didn't she?"_

_Mikan withdrew her hand, startled by the voice, but by no means was she afraid. Had she lost her memory? 'Probably' she answered her question for she could not recall the most recent events. In fact, she did not even know the slightest detail of who she was. Her eyes scanned the huge cylinder. It had not reflected a figure. _

"_Dareka?" She hissed. It was a familiar presence. She knew this person, yet there was a sense of wary and suspicion shrouding around this strange voice. It was not to be trusted and Mikan's sixth sense was not to be taken lightly. _

"_You need not know, child. It is best that you recover your strength, for the path ahead is not one to be cruised through; it is no bed of roses. I foresee danger coming your way whether you like it or not. " _

_The honey-sweet voice ceased to resound. Her words of concern comforted Mikan greatly, but she could not help but be chilled by her last sentence._

_Mikan lowered her head in silence, her mind formatting thousands of questions. There was so many things she wanted to know, but can't seem to reveal them. She glanced at the figure within the glass once more and knew what she had to ask._

"_May I ask a question?"_

"_Yes, child. As long as it is within my capabilities, I shall answer it"_

"_Who is she?"_

_The voice did not respond immediately. It paused for a very long time as if debating whether it should speak. Finally it did._

"_She is your Alice. It slumbers now, but when it awakes, who knows what havoc it would cause. You must never touch her, child."_

_Mikan opened her mouth to ask another, but decided against it. She remained quiet, processing the new information. She felt lost. If she had lost her memory as the voice had said, what was she going to do now? Who should she trust? She did not know. As if reading her thoughts, the voice answered her. _

"_You must find Natsume."_

"_Who is he?" she asked. _

"_Think hard, child. I have no control over you. I am merely a soul which resides within you." the voice urged._

_Mikan frowned. An image of the raven-hair lad flashed through her mind, followed by an overwhelming burst of memories. There were glimpse of a violet eye girl and an old man, but other than that her thoughts were full of Natsume - the guy she was supposed to find. _

"_Once you have found him, you would be safe. Your memories will gradually return at your own peace. Sleep well, child. You have a long journey ahead." _

_Mikan nodded. Closing the shutters of her eyes, she drifted off to unconsciousness._

o.O.o.O.o

"Narumi…"

The name sounded familiar, ringing a bell in her memories. An image of a blonde hair male of not more than thirty smiled jokingly back at her. Her eyes flung open but were shut instantly as the world wobbled around her.

"So be it. After all he had predicted so." It was a male's voice, but in a much higher range than most male would speak in.

"Was he murdered?"

A female voice…Mikan didn't recognize it, but it contained so much sorrow and regret.

"Assassination to be more exact. He had shielded her, but gave his life away as a sacrifice." the same voice answered, probably the one whom the lady had mentioned, the one known as Narumi.

"Koizumi is still on the move, but somehow I feel that there is someone behind her…" A different set of vocals muttered. The voice was a low tenor, calm and rational belonging to a male – a third person.

Their voices gradually faded into the background as Mikan grew restless. She blinked. Her vision was clearing, even though her head remained muffled and light. There was also this slight throbbing pounding against the base of her head, but other than that she felt alive. She was alive. She marveled at that incredible fact. She smiled broadly.

Oh well, she had been through worse than that. She flicked her tongue over her lips. It was dry and cracked. For a while she was contented to just lay there. Moving a muscle seemed too draining and tiring of an action. She noticed that the speakers were not in the room along with her and saw only of the white ceiling.

"…Natsume Hyuga…."

Mikan's senses sharpened instantly, suddenly alert to every sound. The guy in my dream. They are talking of that guy. The conversation was back on track. So he really exist…wait…what was his name again?

"Natsume Hyuga eh…" Oh right, Natsume Hyuga, that's his name.

The lady spoke, "It is necessary. It was either him or Mikan who had to go. Given a choice, anyone would have done the same thing. Those two cannot stay together. He will only bring her trouble and misfortune, given the fair share of pursuers after him. Ryona had said it once, hasn't she not that she will not risk involving any outsiders in this matter?"

"True, she did say that, but this 'outsider' whom you refer to is none other than your daughter and that aside, your reason for chasing Hyuga out of my grounds is invalid. You very well know the impotence of Hyuga as compared to your daughter. He holds the key to it" The unidentified third person spoke solemnly of the last few words.

"Do not talk to me of importance! Mikan is far more of priority to me than any other!" the woman snapped back spitefully, but regretted and tried to redeem herself.

"I cannot afford to desert my daughter. She is unlike us, a mere mortal, defenseless and ignorant. I will look after Hyuga as promised, so please leave my daughter out of this. I ask that you have to protect her, only her."

A shiver ran down her spine. At the same time she felt a pang of sympathy and understanding for the lady. A mother's love is unconquerable.

"Please…She has to be ignorant of everything…I…do not want her to be caught up in this…I can't take her away with me either…too risky, too dangerous, too rash…" the lady spoke slowly, pausing in between words as if to think of the right way to phrase her sentence. She seems to be convincing herself more than the other party.

"This is the best for all" She finished with unstable confidence.

"And what of Hyuga? What of Pandora's heart" The third person sniffled, his tone was somewhat mocking.

A sigh.

"What makes you think I am not doing my duty? I will keep him safe. After all, he is the key to Pandora's Heart. But the rest is up to him, as a vampire he should be able to survive." the woman stated.

Vampires?! This does not make any sense. Vampires exist? Those cold blooded creatures with sharp fangs that plunged indulgingly into a human's fair skin to retrieved their food source. No…it couldn't be true.

"If Natsume Hyuga is the knight, the host of Pandora's heart would be…" Narumi finally spoke.

"Most likely…it would be something she would do, sacrificing her own children." Zenachy answered. There was a deep pause. That moment of silence stretched for the longest time.

When the voices did not return, Mikan did not bother to listen on. She did not want to listen on. Her feelings were all jumbled up. Mainly, she felt uneasy and perplexed. In the first place…who was she? She did not know. And there was the issue of Pandora's heart too. What on earth was that?

She hosted herself up into a sitting position. She needs to escape; this place was dangerous. Yes…escape to the one called Natsume Hyuga. He seemed to be the only one she can trust now. She felt weariness sweeping over her. She was tired…all so tired. Hopefully, he can help her. Hopefully. Her eyes shut and once more she drifted to sleep.

o.O.o.O.o

When Mikan woke up, she found herself in the exact room she was in. She was glad to actually have remembered. Her memories were not constantly deleted after all. That was positively good to hear. Still, she could not remember her name. Who was she? She found herself staring at a girl in the mirror. Brown sloppily tied hair, clouded hazel eyes and a slim figure with curves hidden under a baggy T-shirt. For a mere girl who had gone through not more than seventeen years, she felt old and haggard. Darkened shades of grey coloured the bottom of her droopy eyes. Disorientated would be the most suitable word to describe her current feelings. She looked and felt absolutely dreadful.

"Watashi…dare?" she found herself whispering to the mirror. She noted the clothes she was wearing. A school uniform, mud stained, torn and tattered. She had been outdoors. Not that it would matters. She was going to escape, but the thing was…how?

She spied a glass of water and gulped it down her throat. Noticing a pile of clothes on a table, she decided to accept the offer and change out of the uniform. It was a simple pair of clothing: A shirt and a pair of slacks. Hazel orbs fixed upon a single mandarin orange. The word 'Mikan' resounded in her head. Her name was Mikan. She smiled, pocketing the mandarin orange. Now, she was ready and as for the escape plan, she hobbled towards the door. With a twist of the handle, the door came open. That wasn't so bad of a start, wasn't it? Mikan grinned and left the room.

She had been wondering where on earth she was since she left the room. The school grounds were huge and in no less than an hour, Mikan was lost. She groaned. Why didn't the school have exit signs? She glanced at her surroundings, feeling a major De ja vu. She was rather curious to why she had ended up in such a remote area in the school. All there were was a Sakura tree and a plain field. The area appears to be towards the back of the school.

She fingered the bark of the Sakura tree, running her hand across its scaly texture. The tree was withering. However in the memories she had recovered, it had been in full bloom. She eyed the leafless branches that stretched out in an awkward manner. It was bare. She frowned. Somehow, the tree held significance to her, witnessing it in such a sorry plight depressed the brunette greatly. Perhaps when she returned with Natsume, it would bear flowers again, returning to its former glory. She smiled, sincerely hoping it would be true.

"I hope you would be in full bloom forever," She voiced out her wish. With one last stroke and a huge smile across her face, she headed off, having spotted the gateway out. She left, not noticing the few budding leaves that had sprouted from the Sakura Tree.

o.O.o.O.o

Mikan felt a wave of lethargy swept over her and another dizzy spell as she took a few more steps. Her stomach growled nosily to her embarrassment, but she could feel no embarrassment in her current predicament.

She had sprinted once the school grounds were out of her sight. She ran, guided with only her instincts. Not a particular smart thing to do, considering you are running over a large distance to who knows where.

'I am definitely not an athletic.' Mikan concluded, her chest furiously heaving up and down as she ran. She felt the shortage of breath and her muscles straining to keep up with the speed. Finally, her legs gave way. She sat, trying to catch her breath. She frantically scanned her surrounding. She was in a narrow street and lost once again, but it was different. This time, it was very different.

She felt a chill ran down her spine. Someone was watching her. She could not shake off the feeling ever since she had past by that crowded street. She needed to run, to escape. It is not safe to rest. She urged her two legs to rise, but they wouldn't. She glanced furtively at a broken mirror not far away. There was indeed a person behind her, but not any person…a vampire.

Mikan hosted herself up with her remaining strength. She pushed herself towards the opening of the street, staggering forth a few steps. There was a couple there to her relief. She opened her mouth, attempting a call for help, but merely managed a squeak.

"Help me…" her voice died down. At first, it seemed as if they had not heard, but the female turned her head towards her. The light shone upon her pale face, too pale for any human. Mikan felt herself despairing as the couple moved towards her. She did not know which she feared more, the stalker vampire or the couple vampire. Both seemed equally bad.

**Ending note:** REVIEWS! Grins broadly. Mikan's power is coming out and once more she is in deep trouble! Oh well, let's see what happens next. :)


	16. A word for my dear readers

Dear readers,

My apologies once more for the lack of update. I am having a major examination this year as such I would not be posting another chapter till the end of the year. Sorry. I would very much appreciate your understanding.

Another reason for the lack of update is that I have decided to rewrite it. I find it unsatisfactory and too draggy, especially the initial chapters. In addition, truth to be told, I have not yet finalise any plot. Ideas keep slipping in here and there throughout my writing process. Thus, you would notice slight discrepancies and endless confusion in the plot. Also, I lost the original copies of many writings when my software died on me. It disheartened me greatly.

Thank you very much for reading Vampire Fangs. It gladdens me to know that people do actually read my work and my somewhat outlandish writing. Till next year, with a perhaps better plot and writing. Do anticipate. :D

However, I would still be dropping in several short stories if I am free. A warning for you though, not all stories I write might be appealing to you. You have been warned. :)

With much love,

Ashe16/Ancr

p.s. I am aware that this goes against the rules of fanfiction, but I have no other way to convey this message...so...I shall add a small segment of something I was working on. .

**SCARLET**

_They are__ here. The bringers of death are finally here to claim another. "Soon, soon very soon," they sniggered sinisterly as they swarmed impatiently around their current prey – an old bald man. _

_-.-.-.-.-.-_

_The old man fidgeted uncomfortably in his old durable wooden chair. He had once carved the chair out of an ancient oak when he was still a fine lad. Indeed, those were the days he cherished. Ah, those days of his youth still remain fresh in his memory, but time waits for no one, especially not for an old, feeble man who bids the days go by._

'_I'm going to be __died by today' the thought surfaced in his mind as he heard the pesky little devils chanting the same old irritating phrase at him. How he wished he could just reached out and strangled them, so they could leave his ears in peace, but then again the dead cannot die again, can they? Laying back in the chair for reassurance, he stifled a silent laugh at the wicked irony of it all. He did not wish to meet the god of death now, but a few years earlier, he would give anything to join his beloved wife. How heaven had played a fool out of him!_

_Glancing at the child who was the reason for his change of heart, he couldn't help but suppress the sympathy he had for the child. What powers she possess he did not know, but the child could practically be the one who would change the whole world. He first found her at the doorway of the cottage, wailing at the top of her lungs with a note attached to the thick bundle of cloth. What a grand entrance she had made. After studying the note he was sure the child was "hers", entrusted to him to bring the innocent child up. _

_T__he child grew up incredibly fast, ignorant of the harsh world around her. She was five now. Though slightly sensible, she was still childish and irritating, always making her love ones worry __about her. But there was always something about her that had attracted him to this young wilful creature and made him determined to protect her. Somehow he knew he wasn't the only one feeling this way. 'What was it?' He wondered. Was it her cheerful and playful personality? Her joyful nature? Or is it her innocence and ignorance that made her so vulnerable? He did not know, but with this quality he was sure she would become a fine lady one day, protected from all harm and having her own little rascals to take care of, though, of course, he would not live to see that faithful day. _

"_Ji-chan?" she spoke, her chocolate brown eyes containing a mixture of puzzlement and surprise. He raised a brow in question as she rose and leaned forward towards him. Her tiny fingers brushed softly against his cheeks, wiping away the glistering tears that fell uncontrollably from his eyes. The old man's eyes widen in surprise. He blinked, alarmed that more of the tears had roll down the sides of his cheeks. Once more, the child leaned her face forward and placed her crimson lips against his cheek, attempting to kiss his sadness away. However, the tears just kept on falling to the poor child's dismay. The child frowned in distress and seemed to be in deep thoughts. Chuckling, the old man lifted the child onto his lap. He ran his wrinkled fingers down his granddaughter's silky auburn hair to calm his nerves, but was immediately reminded of his dead wife and daughter. Sighing, he turned his attention to the window. He could not help noticing how warm the waning afternoon sun was though he could feel no warmth but the coldness of his heart instead. Judging by the sun, he knew his time was up. Ah sweet were the days he had spent with his granddaughter, but gone are those days. Gone...From a far, he could hear the ominous galloping of horses..._


End file.
